Beginning the Charge
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: An ancient power surfaces, bringing new dangers and a new team to Amber Beach. The latest Rangers are charged with a dangerous quest for the legendary Energems. But will five strangers make a team? DC, note that categories have not been created yet on FF.N
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** And here it is! The official beginning of my Dino Charge stories! I'm going to start off with a couple of background chapters, since for the first time I'm actually going to follow the story from the beginning. I'll get to the main story soon enough. Hope you all enjoy it!

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events, characters etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating:** T – there will be some mild adult themes.

The sun was slowly falling over the horizon, lighting the peaks of the rippling ocean with a deep, orange hue. A man wearing an expensive suit was standing on the balcony of his private villa overlooking some tall cliffs. He lifted the latte glass to his lips as he took in the simple joys of a sunset. The world at large had a number of differing opinions on him. He had barely been seen in the world at large now in years, but none of that concerned him. There was a reason he built his facility so far from prying eyes. Of course that didn't mean he didn't enjoy having his own tropical island to enjoy.

An intercom in the office behind him sounded, bleeping to alert his attention. While he generally tried to keep the rule that his time in his villa was his, but the work in the laboratories dotted throughout the island, both on the surface and even buried deep under the rock was so cutting edge, it really couldn't be expected that the breakthroughs would be considerate of any one person's timetable. It was the reason he had whole teams of some of the world's most promising scientific and technological minds living and working in shifts here on his private island.

Heading inside, he went to his desk, which he kept immaculately tidy and organised. He pressed the button on the intercom.

"I hope I'm not calling too late Dr Mercer." The voice on the other end said. He just smiled.

"No, you just caught me. I was about to turn in for the night." Anton answered. "Besides, you know I told you I want to know the minute we have anything on your project. What do you have for me?"

"We've managed to get some new readings back from the satellite." The voice on the other end told him. "It seems your calculations were correct. I think you better take a look."

Anton set down his cup, and pressed a button on his desk, which turned on a holographic projection.

"Send it to the projector now." Anton instructed him. The lab tech did as he was told, bringing up a virtual projection of a huge land mass. It was dotted with rocky mountains and deep, green woods. Figures and graphs floating around it showed a number of readings.

"Sir...we found massive levels of the radiation you've been looking for." The lab tech told him. "As in...several times larger than Auckland...or Alaska."

"I can see that." Anton said, stroking his chin as he considered this new information. "I have a feeling we've found something unprecedented...the only explanation is that we've found more than one."

"More than...sir, that's..."

"I know what happened in those locales, I am well aware of how serious this could be." Anton cut him off. He looked back to the projection. "How far along is the technology?"

"It's prototype at best." The lab tech admitted sadly. "We've run into huge road blocks. We can harness the powers you want us to...but it's still unstable, we've no idea how long it can safely be..."

"I'm afraid we may already be out of time." Anton told him. "Send a message to New York. Tell them we're sending over all our research and technology..."

"Wait...ALL of it?" The lab tech screamed. "You want to trust all of our stuff to...to HER?"

"That is what I said." Anton replied. "Tell our guest to pack a bag; he's going to New York."

"Sir, with all due respect...we've been working on this project for...are you SERIOUSLY expecting us to just shut down and hand it over to her now?" He demanded.

"Since I'm paying for all of it, that's exactly what I expect." Anton put down flatly.

"This is an outrage! She is...she's...she isn't qualified...SHE ISN'T EVEN A DOCTOR!" The lab tech roared.

"She is one of the finest minds I have ever worked with, and her qualifications are entirely none of your business." Anton said abruptly. "Now if this is unacceptable to you, I can have you sign the usual non-disclosure agreement, release you from your contract and wish you well on your way after returning you to the mainland."

The line went silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry sir." He answered. "I'm just passionate about..."

"Believe me I know, it is that passion I value." He interrupted the man. "That is why I'm sure your considerable talents will be invaluable on another project, but for now, tell our guest to get ready for when the helicopter arrives and send the message to New York. I have another to consult with."

He hung up, taking a deep breath. He headed to a panel on the wall, pressing it at which an elevator opened up. As he stepped into the elevator, the doors closed, and it started to descend deep into the island.

On another part of the facility, the head researcher was making his way through the lab, being followed by a couple of other assistants, who all seemed to be just as angered by this turn of events as he was.

"He can't be serious, after all these months...he's just ordering us to shut down and give our research away?" One of them demanded angrily.

"That's exactly what he said." The other stated, tapping a few keys on a computer and beginning to download. There was a mountain of information; cutting edge work that many on the team had hoped would propel them into worldwide fame in their fields. Now, for reasons known only to Anton Mercer, the man who had hired them and bank-rolled their research with seemingly bottomless pockets, they were being shut down and ordered to move on. "I'm not happy about it either, believe me I've been working non-stop on this just as long as any of you."

"This isn't right." Another said abruptly. "He can't just..."

"That's just the thing, he CAN and he HAS, this is HIS work!" The first put down flatly. "He owns the research, he owns the hardware and he pays our salaries! He can take everything we've been working for and turn it into the world's largest bonfire if he wants!"

"Then we take it!" One of the others suggested. "We upload all of this to the internet, then he can't stop anyone from working on it! We could sell this to anyone on the understanding..."

"You don't know a thing about patents do you?" The first interrupted him. "He'd sue us into the stone-age and that would just be the start of your problems! By the time he'd finished spreading the word about what we did to the scientific community, you'd be lucky if you could get a job as a lab assistant in a High School!"

"So...that's it?" One of them asked. "We're just...done?"

"With this project, yes." The first replied as he started downloading the last computer. "We can stay here and get transferred to other projects or we can leave and look for other work. Those are our options."

The others just remained in the lab, venting their frustrations as they watched their work being transferred to another facility. It only angered them more that they didn't get an explanation why this had happened. Meanwhile, the first lab tech went into another room.

It was unlike the other area. It didn't look much like a lab; it looked a lot more like a gym. It was set up with the kind of equipment that most professional sports teams in the world only dreamed they could get. Inside, there was a guy, working hard on a heavy bag. He didn't seem to notice the lab tech coming in behind him.

He was a young guy, somewhere in either his late teens or early twenties. He was tall, with a lean, but toned build. He was wearing a pair of sweat pants, trainers, and a black tank-top, with a black baseball cap turned backwards. Ear-buds pressed into his ears were emitting a tinny whine, which explained why he was ignorant to the lab tech's arrival. He couldn't hear him.

He worked on the bag, hitting it over and over. The strikes sounded like explosions, and the bag moved with each hit, tellingly bending rather than swinging around indicating that his blows were not just strong, but fast, sharp, focused. The force of each blow was focused into the point of impact with such precision that the bag didn't have a chance to get pushed away. It was an impressive sight to behold.

"Chase!" The lab tech called, trying to rouse his attention. When he couldn't, he tapped him on the shoulder. "Chase!"

Chase turned around, seeing the lab tech behind him and pulled out his ear-buds, turning off his music.

"What's up Doc?" He asked in a strong, New Zealand accent. The lab tech just sighed.

"Dr Mercer asked you to get your bags packed." He told Chase. "You're being transferred to another facility."

"I am?" Chase asked in response.

"A helicopter will be here in an hour." The lab tech told him. "You have until then to get ready. Dr Mercer will meet you to brief you at the heli pad."

"Shame, I kind of liked it here." Chase responded with a smile. "But I have a feeling; this project is just about to get interesting."

Elsewhere, the elevator arrived took in a laboratory that was hidden, even from the other researchers.

As he got inside, he walked past banks of computers and scanners, heading towards a chair at the opposite end of the room. There, a cloaked figure was sitting, viewing the screen.

"I trust you were following that." Anton told him.

"I was." The cloaked figure answered. "Your work is impressive...though your employees are..."

"They are passionate." Anton interrupted him. "It takes more than intellect to push the boundaries of possibility. Not many people can truly have the drive to be exceptional if they clock out at five every day."

"Then it is time for me to go." He replied.

"I can have a facility set up in Amber Beach..."

"I will set it up myself." He stated. "What we are doing must be done completely in secret."

"Then at least use my land." Anton told him. "The museum should have all the space you need underneath it. It's one of the largest areas of real estate in the whole city."

"That will suffice." He said, looking to his accomplice. "You have done much to help already Anton. Are you certain you would not like to be more closely involved?"

"I'll help in any way I can, but I'd really prefer to stay at arm's length from this one." Anton told him. "My assistant is one of the brightest and most capable young scientists I've ever come across. She will be able to help you in any way you need."

"Then all I can say is thank you." He replied, shaking Anton's hand. "Your help has been invaluable."

"Good luck Keeper." Anton replied. "Would you like...?"

"I can show myself out." Keeper assured him, before disappearing from sight.

Meanwhile, miles from the island, deep within New York City, a research team was sitting in an observation room, watching a bank of monitors. As the door opened and a young, blonde-haired young woman arrived, carrying a large, white paper bag, they didn't even flinch. They were glued to the monitor, watching what was going on in the other room.

Kendall Morgan was a gifted scientist, accomplished in a number of fields. She was young, younger than most of the men in the building, having only left university a year earlier, but she had already been appointed to head up this project. While she had yet to earn a doctorate, and had taken a job with Anton Mercer Industries to work on attaining that doctorate while earning some money, she was already more than qualified for the position in Anton's eyes. She had a Bachelors degree...but she had a multiple major which defied belief. She was a phenomenal intellect; the kind that comes along only a few times in a generation, but that wasn't what a lot of other people saw when they looked at her.

She wasn't unaware of the fact that a lot of people considered her attractive. She took a lot of care of herself, taking time to work out and stay healthy, and it showed in her physique. She had smooth, pale skin, and long, blonde hair. It wasn't the first time someone on her team asked her out, and on more than one occasion superiors had made the suggestion that they could advance her career in exchange for...certain privileges. She always refused of course. One of the main attractions with the job at Anton Mercer Industries was the fact that Anton, who had headhunted her personally for the position, clearly had no such designs on her.

She made a conscious effort in how she dressed to try and distract from her physical appearance. She would wear unappealing clothes, she made a point of wearing glasses instead of contacts, and she only ever wore her hair in a pony tail instead of taking any real care to style it. None of that worked though. Those that didn't have designs on her, often were jealous of her quick ascension in the ranks despite her lack of paper qualifications and maintained that was how she got there. She was determined to prove them all wrong.

As she got to the station, she could see they were just staring at the screen. They didn't look like they had moved in hours. She could understand their fascination with their discovery, with their research, but right now the two lab techs on observation looked more like a couple of Frat boys who'd stumbled onto a free connection to the Playboy channel, the way their noses were pressed to the screen and they stared on open-mouthed.

"Busy are we?" She asked them, seeing the vacant expressions on their faces.

"This guy is just...it's incredible." One of them stated. "Have you seen this?"

Kendall just sighed and looked at the screen, showing a room that had been set up. It looked like someone had gone to great expense and effort to set it up to resemble a jungle. The window looked directly in on one corner of it where it seemed there was a collection of rocks that on closer inspection formed a cave. Kendall watched as the only inhabitant, a man with wild, dark hair and a tanned complexion. He was wearing denim shorts, and a light blue tank top. He was currently hopping around the trees and rocks in a frankly astounding display of free-running.

"He's just exercising." Kendall commented. One of the men just looked at her.

"He's been at this for five hours straight now." He told her. Kendall just smiled. The man in the enclosure, Koda, was truly a remarkable find. He had been discovered frozen in a glacier in Alaska. It wasn't the first time a creature had been discovered preserved in such a way, but the fact he was running around now was a testament to what was unique about this find. Somehow, he had continued to exhibit life signatures. They had researched him for a while, hoping to perfect a method of cryogenics, but when an accident in the lab had led to him thawing out, they had convinced him to remain for further research. It wasn't every day that someone had a real-life caveman to observe.

He was indeed remarkable. His strength was incredible, well beyond what a modern man of roughly equal size and build should exhibit, and as his current 'exercise regime' demonstrated, his stamina was off the charts as well. It seemed that to survive in the harsh climates of his time, his body, his metabolism, and his very make-up had been fundamentally built to be resilient. It wasn't as though he could run to the nearest pharmacy if he'd gotten sick after all.

"Well, enjoy it while you can." She told them. "I'm afraid the research is being moved to another facility."

"What?" One of them asked. "Where are we going?"

"Actually...WE are going." Kendall corrected them, gesturing between them and the screen. "Dr Mercer just called. He's sending over a member of his team soon, and then we're leaving the lab."

"What about us?" The other asked. Kendall just shrugged.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." She told them. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get Koda ready."

With that, she went into the enclosure. One of the lab techs just looked to the other.

"Must be nice to be Anton Mercer's little pet." He sneered. "She gets a promotion and we get shunted to some other research project."

"You could always try sleeping your way to the top if you want." The other snorted. "Come on; let's see if we can convince him not to stick us on some bullshit project."

Meanwhile, inside the enclosure, Kendall made her way into the clearing by the cave. She smiled as she saw Koda contenting himself with the environment she had created for him. When he had first thawed out, and escaped into New York City, it became clear that the stress of the unfamiliar environment had sent him into a blind panic. She had worked hard to ensure that they created a place that was as close to his home environment as possible. She was working to familiarise him with the modern world, but she didn't want to cause him too much distress by making that transition too fast. Here, he had a place that felt as close to home as was reasonably possible in the modern age.

"Koda, can you come here please?" She asked. He looked around from where he was hanging from a branch, and smiled. He dropped down, landing on the ground and made his way over towards her.

"Kendall." He greeted her in a voice that was little more than a grunt. This was another part of his education. He had a basic grasp of language, and with time they were teaching him more and more. His speech was still a little stilted and forced, but he was able to make what he wanted to say clear. He eyed her up and down, his eyes lighting up, and smiled. Kendall could see his nose twitching and handed over the white paper bag. "Thank."

He tore it open with little care, revealing a burger of truly gargantuan proportions. It wasn't really an evolutionary thing, strictly speaking he was Homo Sapien, but it seemed like his metabolism was used to a diet largely comprised of meat, specifically rare meat. While he did like it cooked, he seemed to prefer his meat to be more than a little on the pink side. Kendall theorised that was likely because while he certainly was more than capable of making a fire and cooking, he didn't have access to technology that would cook food as thoroughly as they did in the modern era. Over time, people cooked their food more and more thoroughly, which meant they didn't build the same tolerances to infection and toxins. The only reason people didn't tend to eat cooked food was because now they were afraid of it, and got sick. By comparison Koda's constitution was pretty robust. Some of the food he ate regularly was only just on the dark side of being raw.

Koda took a massive bite of the burger, with no regard at all for Kendall. He didn't really care much for table manners. Kendall just sighed.

"Koda, you...you trust me don't you?" She asked him. "You know I'd never do anything that would harm you don't you?"

She got some unintelligible grunts in response as he devoured his burger. She had learned enough to know he was still paying attention even if it didn't seem like it. He was agreeing with her.

"The thing is...we have more work to do with this." She told him, pointing to a blue crystal that hung on a string around his neck. "But we can't do it here."

He looked up a little, and stopped eating for a moment. Kendall turned away from him.

"Koda, I know you like it here, but we need to do this." Kendall assured him. "I'll make sure we make you as comfortable as possible. Amber Beach is pretty close to this climate. You're going to meet up with..."

Her words were cut off as Koda let out a massive belch. She just turned back towards him, seeing him staring at her, the burger now completely gone.

"Will there...be burgers?" He asked.

"Yes Koda." She answered with a bright smile. "There will be burgers."

"Then Koda go with Kendall." He said flatly.


	2. Cut to the Chase

"That's the last stop, end of the line!" The bus driver called to the back of the bus. The bus from the airport by now only had one passenger. He didn't respond though, he was just sitting staring out the window. The driver picked up a newspaper and threw it at him, hitting the young man, who was just staring out the window, causing him to jump with a start. "KID! IT'S TIME TO GET OFF!"

Chase carefully removed one of his ear buds, looking to the driver a little irritated.

"What?" He asked.

"Last stop!" The driver stated, pointing to the door. "Out!"

Chase just got up, gathering his bag on his shoulder, before picking up his skateboard and walking to the front of the bus. He stopped by the driver.

"I'm looking for the Anton Mercer Industries building." He told him. "Can you tell me where...?"

"Kid, my shift finished half an hour ago, do I LOOK like a tour guide?" The bus driver interrupted him sharply, pointing again to the door. Chase held up his hands defensively and just backed off the bus, which pulled away so quickly that it almost spun him onto the pavement. He just sighed.

"Welcome to New York." He said sarcastically, before looking around the street. He didn't know the city well, he had been given instructions to get on the airport bus, but looking at the neighbourhood he wasn't sure he had gotten on the RIGHT bus. He had to admit that right now, he was completely lost.

He headed down the street, looking for any signs that he recognised from the description he had received. He had to admit that he wasn't really paying much attention when he got the directions. The way he heard it, Anton Mercer was a big deal and he just presumed everyone would know where his building was. He went up to some kids that were skateboarding on the sidewalk and smiled.

"Hey, pretty slick moves there." He complimented them, holding up his board. He hoped that the solidarity of the half-pipe would bear some fruit. "I do a little skating myself."

"Wow, sweet board!" One of the kids responded, admiring the board. Chase wasn't exactly a competitive skater, he just used it to get around, but he did spend a fair bit of time, effort and money on it. His board was a custom job, built pretty much from scratch using the best parts he could afford. He had even paid for a custom paint job, even if it was a simple design. It was plain black, with a white picture of a Parasaurolophus on it. "Can I see it?"

"Sure thing." Chase told him, handing over the board, but keeping a careful eye on it. "Say, I was looking for some directions. Would any of you know where the Anton Mercer Industries building is?"

"Are you serious?" One of the kids snorted, as the others started laughing. Chase just smiled.

"I'm not exactly from around here." He replied. "Is it close?"

"Try looking up." One of them told him. Chase did exactly as he was told, seeing one building standing prominently above any other in the area. "It's the big one there, it's about four blocks over and two blocks down."

"Thanks." Chase replied, retrieving his board.

"I'd be careful if I were you." One of the others called after him. "Freaky things happen around that building."

"I'll bet." Chase responded. "Like what?"

"A while back a cop car was thrashed by Tarzan near there." The one of them informed him. "The only reason it never hit the news is because someone from that lab told the cops to keep it under wraps. Everyone knows that."

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye out for that." Chase replied as he tossed down the board and hopped on, beginning his journey. He just popped his ear bud back in, shaking his head in disbelief and sniggering. "Tarzan? Kids today."

Meanwhile, at the laboratory, Kendall came into the room, carrying a small bag with her. The two observers were watching as Koda prepared for his journey. He really didn't have much, only a few bits and pieces that had been provided for him by the lab.

"Packing light?" One of them commented, seeing Kendall's luggage. She just pulled it up on her shoulder.

"I don't keep much." She told them. "I don't know how long I'm going to be staying anywhere."

She looked into the enclosure, where Koda was just figuring out how best to fit his few possessions into the canvas bag she had provided him.

"He's taking his sweet time." One of them commented. "He only has about three outfits."

"He was frozen for over a hundred thousand years, everything he ever knew is long since gone." Kendall reminded them. "Now he's leaving the first home he's managed to make since then. I think we can forgive him for being a little nostalgic."

With that, she went into the enclosure, approaching Koda as he looked to his possessions. She touched his shoulder to let him know she was there.

"It's nearly time." She told him. "Is that everything?"

"My story." Koda responded. "I can't take it."

Kendall saw him pointing to the cave and knew what he meant. Like most people of his time, he had painted a few rough paintings in his cave depicting important things that had happened to him. It was in many ways, his way of taking photographs. Kendall just nodded in understanding, pulling out her cell phone.

"Can we have someone come to the enclosure?" Kendall asked. "Tell them to bring some stone working tools. Tell them I'd like them to remove the paintings from the enclosure and have them FedExed to Amber Beach Museum."

Koda looked to Kendall with a smile.

"Kendall bring my stories?" He asked. She just shook her head.

"No, but they will be there when we get to your new home." She assured him. "Now, it's nearly time to go. The other researcher should be here soon."

Koda followed Kendall out of the enclosure, just as a team went in with tools to begin work on removing his paintings. He cast one last look back at his home, before heading off to follow Kendall.

Chase arrived outside the Anton Mercer Industries building, kicking his board up into his hands. Opening the door, he went inside.

The lobby was incredibly impressive. There were black marble floors, and tall, white columns. There were numerous planters, containing a variety of tropical plants, and a few fossils in glass display cases. Chase stopped next to one, which appeared to be the skull of a Parasaurolophus. He smiled and tapped the case with a knuckle.

"Hello there mate." He quipped cheerfully, before hearing a little cough. He looked over to the reception desk. It was a large, black marble desk, but with glass extending from it to the ceiling, with only a small open window. The glass extended across the breadth of the lobby, leaving only one entrance through a metal detector arch. The lobby extended behind the glass, with some elevators at the end. The stern-looking woman at the desk just glared at him.

"Please don't touch the displays." She told him. Chase approached the desk.

"Sorry, was just saying hi to a friend." He told her.

"Can I help you with anything?" She asked him. He got the distinct impression she wasn't exactly in a welcoming mood. It was something of a recurring theme in this city.

"Well pretty lady, I...have an appointment." He told her. "You see, I'm a very important person."

"You have an appointment?" She asked. Chase approached the desk, propping his board up against it. He couldn't help noticing security staff in suits on the other side of the glass. "You?"

"Are you surprised someone this good-looking would show up here?" He asked her. "Listen, let's cut to the Chase..."

"Let's cut to the chase, if you have an appointment, I'm going to need to see a letter." She cut him off. Typical, he thought, it seemed his charms were lost on her. He started scrambling around in his pockets, only for his face to fall.

"Wait, I've got it here somewhere." He told her, putting his bag on the desk. He started to rummage around in it, finding nothing. He started to search more frantically. "Look, I have an appointment..."

"Please take your things and leave." The receptionist told him. "This is private property."

"I'm telling you, I have an appointment! Shit, I must have left my letter on the bus." He said as the realisation came to him. "Look, I'm here to see Mr Morgan..."

"There is no Mr Morgan here." The receptionist stated flatly. "Now, this is private property, so if you don't gather your belongings and leave, I will call security."

Chase couldn't help noticing the suits in the back becoming restless.

"OK, there's been a misunderstanding here." He told her. "If I could just talk to..."

A buzzer sounded, and he realised he had stepped through the metal detector as he went to meet the security staff. Suddenly, they were going for pepper sprays.

"Alright, hold it right there!" One of them screamed at him. "Hands where I can see them!"

"Listen, if I could just talk to Mr Morgan, I'm sure we could straighten this out." Chase stated as they started to search him. "For God's sake, I don't have any weapons!"

"Just keep your hands where I can see them!" The security guard reiterated as his colleagues gathered around. Chase just did as he was told. They pulled out his wallet, his keys, and his I-pod, confirming he had nothing else on him.

"If you could just call..."

"Whatever, just get going kid!" The security guard replied. "You don't think we get this shit all the time?"

"Can I at least have my stuff back?" Chase asked, figuring he could call Anton and have this straightened out. The guard just threw his stuff on the floor. Chase watched as his I-pod smashed into several pieces. He just looked back to the guard.

"OK, now...now I'm annoyed." He said coldly.

Up in the main laboratory, Kendall and Koda were waiting for Chase's arrival. They were scheduled to get transport to Amber Beach as soon as he arrived, but he was due some time ago. Kendall checked her watch, and then the clock on the wall again. He was now twenty minutes late.

"Whoever this guy is Anton, he better be something special." Kendall muttered as she looked to Koda, who was already getting restless. Just then, an alarm sounded, and Kendall could see security running down the hall. She snapped up to her feet.

"What happened? What's going on?" She demanded.

"There's been a security breach!" One of the staff informed her. "Someone hit the panic button, it's a full-on call."

Kendall went to the monitors and started to flick through. She could see plenty of security running around, both the suits, and also the back-up. They wore coveralls and body armour. They were there in case the security breach was more serious than just an unarmed protest. The corridors by now looked more like a military base than a private laboratory. There was one thing Kendall could notice was missing though.

"Where's the breach?" She asked. "Who's in the building?"

She flicked frantically through several monitors, but she could only find one view that showed any kind of activity. In the lobby area, there was some guy she hadn't seen before fending off security. Flicking through all the angles she could find, she could still only see one assailant, but she could see several security staff littering the floor.

"OK, this is..." She turned around as she heard a sound, only to see the door flapping, and Koda nowhere in sight. "OK, this can't be good!"

Down in the lobby, Chase caught a guard's attack as he went for him with a truncheon, kicking him hard in the ribs, before launching him face-first through a planter. He threw up his hands and looked around.

"I didn't want this!" He told them. "I just wanted to see K Morgan!"

"You leave NOW!" Koda growled as he arrived in the lobby. Chase looked to him, seeing the scruffy looking savage before him.

"Look Shaggy, I don't want trouble, these guys started it!" Chase told him. "I just want to see K Morgan and..."

With a huge yell, Koda moved far faster than Chase could have anticipated, and tackled him, straight through the security glass into the other part of the lobby. The two men rolled back to their feet, at which Koda punched Chase hard across the face, sprawling him across the floor. Chase got up, stroking his jaw.

"Alright, I'll give you that Shaggy. You can dish it out!" Chase stated. "Let's see if you can take it!"

Chase and Koda traded blows back and forth, wrecking more of the lobby in their wake. By the time Kendall got there, it looked like a bomb site.

"Koda, no!" She screamed, running towards them. As she got close to them, she slipped on some broken glass and landed hard on the ground between them. Koda saw her and abandoned the fight.

"Kendall!" He yelled, running over to check on her. He knelt over her, facing Chase. "Bad man not hurt Kendall!"

"Koda, it's fine, I'm alright." She assured him as more security arrived, this time carrying guns. They were taking no chances now, and aimed at him. Kendall held up a hand. "Stand down for God's sake, he's meant to be here! I'm guessing you're Chase."

"Finally someone just wants to talk!" Chase responded bad-temperedly. "All of these guys were all batons and pepper spray, I just defended myself."

"Defended yourself?" One of the security staff replied. "You put half our staff in the hospital!"

"Exactly, he single-handedly defeated twenty five military-trained security staff unarmed!" Kendall pointed out. "And he and Koda just went through twin-pained bullet-proof glass unprotected and they're still on their feet, does that sound like normal human behaviour to you?"

The security team just put their weapons down and started to help their injured. Chase pointed to one of the suits.

"That guy owes me an I-pod." He told her. "He smashed mine."

Kendall just grabbed the security guard's I-pod, handing it to Chase. She knew Anton would replace it, and just wanted to smooth things over with Chase right now. He checked the playlist.

"One Direction?" He asked, looking to the suit. "Trust me mate, I'm doing you a favour taking this off your hands."

"Alright, so you're Chase Matthews." Kendall stated. "Anton sent you here."

"That's right little lady." He replied, giving her a bright smile. "Now, let's cut to the Chase. I'm here to see K Morgan..."

"I'm Kendall Morgan." She told him. He just looked to her.

"Really? You are?" He asked. "I was expecting..."

"Well, we can discuss what you were expecting another time." Kendall interrupted him. "For now, we've got a plane to catch."

As she left, Chase watched her go, with a huge smirk on his face.

"So that's the genius that's leading this team?" He asked. "This might not be such a bad move after all."

Koda just shoved him roughly.

"Not like you." Koda stated bluntly. "Kendall nice."

"Whatever man." Chase replied. "But I had your number and you know it."

"Koda not have number!" Koda called after him as he gathered up his bag and followed them.


	3. The Road to Amber Beach

"Now THIS is the way to travel." Chase stated as he looked around at the interior of Anton's private jet. In order to make sure they got to Amber Beach as quickly and conveniently as possible, Anton had instructed a pilot to take his personal plane to transport the team. He opened the minibar, pulling out a fruit punch and flopped down into a big easy-chair. Koda sat down opposite him, still glaring at him. It was clear that he still had his issues with Chase, given the way they had met. Kendall headed into the cockpit to check on the pilot.

"This plane is pretty dope huh?" Chase asked. Koda didn't say anything, instead just grunting. Chase let out a sigh. "You're not still sore about the fact I kicked your ass are you?"

"Not beat Koda." Koda responded abruptly.

"Well, if it makes you feel better to think that, then be my guest." Chase replied, shifting a little uncomfortably in his seat. "We both know if your girlfriend there hadn't broken it up, she'd have been peeling you off the floor."

Koda again just grunted, shaking his head to indicate his disdain for Chase's assertion. Chase continued to shift uncomfortably, before reaching around, pulling a piece of glass out of his back. Kendall came back in as he set it aside.

"Hey doc, I think there might be more back there." He told her. Kendall just rolled her eyes as she turned towards him.

"My name's Kendall, not doc." She told him. "And even if I WAS a doctor, I'm not that kind of doctor."

"So you CAN'T check to see if there's any more glass back there?" He asked her. Kendall came over, grabbing his head roughly and shoving it down, beginning to inspect his back, before shoving him back into the chair.

"There's no more glass." She assured him.

"That's some bedside manner you have." Chase said sarcastically. "It's just as well there's no real damage..."

"We both know the Energem helps you regenerate, within a couple of hours you won't have a mark on you, and neither will Koda." She interrupted him sharply.

"So, you're some kind of expert, you know what these things do." Chase said, pulling out a black Energem.

"The Energems bond to a host, providing them with incredible power." She told him. "Your strength, your speed, your durability...all of them have increased dramatically. Your body's cellular regeneration occurs at a rate several times greater than normal, allowing you to heal injuries in a matter of hours. Also, it helps with the dispersal of fatigue acids and even prevents aging."

"So I'll be this young and gorgeous for good." Chase said with a smile. Kendall just put her hands on her hips, staring at him in disbelief.

"This is Koda; he's bonded to the blue Energem." She told him. "The two of you are going to be working together."

"Shaggy here has an Energem?" Chase asked.

"He put you through twin-paned bullet-proof glass without even breaking pace." Kendall reminded him. Chase looked to Koda, seeing him fiddling with his seatbelt, clearly confused as to what it was or how it worked.

"I guess you don't get much of a say in who bonds to those gems." He chuckled. Kendall took her seat, helping Koda with his seatbelt.

"Obviously." She replied coldly. "The Energems choose the host, it's not always clear why."

With that, she took her own seat, helping Koda with his seatbelt, and fastening her own. Chase popped his earbuds back in and pulled down the skip of his baseball cap to try and get some sleep.

Meanwhile, in Amber Beach, Keeper shifted into view, having teleported most of the way across the state. As he arrived, he found a large building ahead of him. The sign outside marked it as the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum, a subsidiary of Anton Mercer industries.

As he approached, he knelt down on the ground, propping up his staff, and resting one hand on the ground. He let out a small pulse, which shot out in all directions. He smiled.

"Yes, the caves beneath here have ample room." He commented. "This will definitely do."

He sank down into the earth, finding himself in the caves beneath the area. They extended for miles in all directions. The area had been rich in fossils, a true archaeological goldmine. Anton had the museum built there a few years previously as a way of providing dig teams with a base of operations close to the main dig sites. These particular tunnels had been mined dry long ago, but it left a network of tunnels and caves under the museum that would give them plenty of room to make up their base of operations.

"Yes, this will do nicely." Keeper remarked. "I just need to make a few little adjustments."

Back on the plane, Koda was swaying a little on his seat, and looking decidedly unwell. Kendall noticed his complexion and leaned across in her seat.

"Koda, are you alright?" She asked him.

"Not feel well." He told her. "Bathroom."

"There's one over there." She told him, helping him unfasten his seatbelt. Almost as soon as she released it, Koda ran from the room, throwing open the door, and doubled over the toilet, heaving powerfully. Chase pulled out his earphones as he saw this.

"It seems Shaggy isn't a huge fan of flying." He commented. Kendall shook her head.

"It doesn't appear so." She responded. Chase leaned forward in his seat.

"So, what is his deal anyway?" He asked. "He doesn't exactly seem like the sharpest tool in the shed."

"He's passed all the same assessments you have." Kendall assured him. "But if you're referring to his behaviour and his speech patterns, it's because he is still adjusting to this time period."

"Time period?" Chase asked her. She just looked to him.

"He bonded to his Energem during the Plyses era." She told him. "He's what you would probably colloquially term a cave man."

"A cave man?" He asked. "As in..."

"He bonded to his Energem over a hundred thousand years ago." Kendall told him. "As you know, you don't age once you bond to an Energem."

"So...he's been kicking about for over a hundred thousand years." Chase said, flicking a thumb in the direction of the bathroom, where Koda was still losing the contents of his stomach. "And...he hasn't learned English in all that time?"

"He's over a hundred thousand years old, but he was frozen in a glacier for most of that." Kendall explained. "We found him frozen in a glacier in Alaska. There's nothing too unusual about that, but we found that he had life signs, and so we started to research him, thinking that he might have the answer to reliable cryogenics. What we didn't know until recently is that he'd bonded to his Energem before he was frozen. The same energy that prevents him from aging also..."

"Stopped him becoming a human ice cube?" Chase asked. Kendall just nodded.

"By all rights, he should be dead." Kendall responded. "But the Energem kept him alive in there until we thawed him out a while ago. Now, we know he has an Energem just like you, and we're putting you together in a team."

"You keep mentioning this team." Chase stated. "What team are you talking about exactly?" Kendall sat forward in her seat.

"Do you know what a Power Ranger is?" She asked him. Chase just looked to her, a little uneasily. Koda came back in, getting back into his seat.

"Not like plane." He stated. "Feel ill."

"It's alright Koda, we'll be landing soon." She assured him. "I'm just going to talk to the pilot. Try to relax."

As she got up to go, Chase watched her leaving. Koda could see the way Chase was looking at her, and growled in disapproval. Chase just looked to Koda.

"Relax mate, I'm just looking." Chase responded. "So...you were a cave man...and got frozen." Koda just nodded in response.

"So...what was that like?" He asked.

"Cold." Koda responded bluntly.

Early in the morning, over in Amber Beach, there was a lot of activity around the museum. A young woman in a pink, checked shirt and white jean shorts approached the museum, with more than a little enthusiasm, and a little skip in her step.

Shelby Watkins was nothing like a lot of the other kids her age. When most of the other kids at her school were worrying about clothes or boys, she was learning everything she possibly could about dinosaurs. She had been fascinated by them ever since she could remember. One of her earliest memories as a little girl was walking through the woods with her parents and finding an oddly-shaped rock, that looked a lot like a shell. She was fascinated as her father explained to her what a fossil was. For a young girl, it seemed magical to think that at one time, this trilobite had been a real living creature, but that years in the dirt had caused it to slowly but surely turn into stone.

From that moment on, she was hooked. He quickly exhausted the entire section in her school library on dinosaurs. Her bedroom was filled with books, magazines, even scientific journals she had downloaded on the subject. It was also filled with fossils she gathered on her many walks in the woods, searching for anything she could find. It was no surprise to anyone when she told her school guidance counsellor that she wanted to become a palaeontologist. She had already checked out every college in the country to find who had the best courses. She easily had the grades to get in; there was only one minor problem. Well...more accurately there were about 20,000 problems. Her family wasn't exactly poor, but they most definitely didn't have the money to pay the tuition fees. She had applied for virtually every grant and scholarship available, but as time went by and the rejection letters piled up, it quickly became clear that her dream had hit a huge road-block. By the time she graduated high school and everyone else was going off to college, Shelby was stuck right here in Amber Beach.

She knew she needed a job. If she was going to go to college, she would need to save the money for it herself, and that meant a job. As soul-crushing as the thought of working in a job she hated for years on end before she could even begin the journey on her way into the field she loved was, she knew that it was a necessary step. When she had checked the local paper and found out that Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum was advertising a job, she had rushed out of the house as fast as she could to get there before anyone else had a chance. It might not be the job she wanted, but she figured that working in the museum would be the next best thing. She knew more than enough to be a good tour guide, and she would only learn more by joining one of the dig teams. If she played her cards right, she figured she might even get an endorsement from one of the curators for a scholarship if she showed them how enthusiastic and knowledgeable she was.

As she went inside, there were a number of workers buzzing about, loading up a van. She figured they had to be getting ready for another dig. She approached one of the workers.

"Hi, I'm looking for Dr Davies' office." She told him. He just looked her up and down. "I'm here about the job."

"In the back, last door on the right." He told her.

"Thanks." Shelby answered as she headed into the museum. She thought it was strange that no one accompanied her into the back. She thought security would be a little tighter, but it seemed like no one really cared that she was there. As she walked down the corridor, she saw a number of people packing up books and folders into boxes, taping them up. She finally found Dr Davies' office, seeing him filling out a shipping form on top of a large, sealed box.

"Um...Dr Davies?" She asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" He asked her.

"Hi, I'm Shelby, Shelby Watkins." She introduced herself, thrusting a hand out for a handshake. He just stared at it for a second before going back to what he was doing. Shelby just sheepishly brought her hand back in. "I'm...uh...here about the job?"

"The job...right." He sighed. "What age are you?"

"18." She told him.

"Show me your hands." He told her. Shelby thought this was a little odd, but just did as she was told. He cast a quick glance over her hands.

"Dr. Davies, I read your paper on the Triassic era species..."

"Well, good for you." He responded in an off-hand way as someone came in for the box on his desk. He handed it over. "What's your favourite dinosaur?"

"The triceratops." She answered with a bright smile. "Definitely the triceratops."

He reached for a button maker, writing her name on a piece of paper with a picture of a triceratops on it, twisted a handle and popped out a new badge, throwing it to her.

"There you go, you've got the job." He told her.

"Wait...don't you want to read my resume or something?" She asked him.

"Listen, I've been working here for six years and then last night out of the blue, I got a phone call telling me that my entire team is to pack up and relocate to the San Diego facility." He told her. "Six years and I just get told to pack up and go just like that, so you'll forgive me if interviewing new starts really isn't high on my list of priorities."

"So...why do I need this?" She asked him, holding up the name badge. "Does everyone on the dig team have one?"

"There aren't any jobs on the dig team, the job's in the Dino Bite Cafe." He informed her. "They should have a uniform your size, if not...well that really isn't my problem."

"I'm a waitress?" Shelby asked him. "But...I didn't want that, I thought I'd be on a dig team...maybe a tour guide or..."

"Listen, the waitress job is the only job available right now, and since my boss just sent me to the other side of the state with no notice whatsoever, I really don't give a shit if you want it or not." He told her bluntly. "So, do you want the job or not?"

Shelby really didn't want the job at all. She'd once briefly worked in a KFC, and found that she loathed it with a passion. She'd quit after less than two weeks because she hated it so much. She didn't like the thought of having to be a waitress, that wasn't what she expected when she came for a job in the museum. That said, she knew she needed the money, and it wasn't as if there was a huge number of places hiring at that time. She sighed as she figured this was just another road block she'd have to work around. At least it was a foot in the door. She could always ask about a transfer later.

"I'll take it." Shelby responded in a defeated manner. "Where do I go for my uniform?"

**A/N:** Just a quick note, I've had it pointed out to me that I erroneously wrote Chase's surname as Matthews, when it is in fact Randal. This was a pure error, one which I'm only too happy to acknowledge. From now on, I'll ensure I have the correct surname. Thank you to those who pointed this out, as always I know that sometimes I make mistakes, and if you point that out to help me with future chapters, then I gratefully accept that.

Also, I know in the show that Koda was never frozen. I've added that deliberately. One of the sticking points for me in his back-story is the point Chase pointed out. He's had a hundred thousand years to learn to adjust. In this series, the reason he hasn't learned...well...he's not learning much as an ice-cube is he? I hope that clears things up.


	4. The Charge Begins

Shelby...hated...this job. It wasn't hard to see, she had a way of wearing her heart on her sleeve. The supervisor spent his time running her through her duties, calling it an "induction". It wasn't as though she could imagine the job was particularly hard, but he insisted on showing her EVERYTHING.

"So here we have the register." He told her. "If someone orders a bronto burger, push this putton with the brontosaurus on it. If they order fossil fries..."

"Push the button with the fossil on it?" Shelby interrupted him sarcastically. The guy didn't seem to catch the sarcasm as she looked at him, just smiling at her.

"Yeah, that's right! I knew you were right for this job!" He told her. "Now, I know I have a uniform your size somewhere, in the meantime, why don't you get familiar with the area out here and I'll see if I can find something?"

Before Shelby could protest, he had put the hat on her head, and disappeared. She just rolled her eyes.

"It's fine Shelby, at least you're in the museum." She reminded herself. "It doesn't matter if you're just flipping sodding burgers; at least you're actually here."

As she turned to the desk, she saw three people arriving. She smiled.

"Hello, Dino Bite Cafe, how may I serve you?" She asked. The woman at the front of the group stepped up.

"Hi, I'm Kendall Morgan." She introduced herself. "We're taking over here..."

"Dr Morgan! It's amazing to meet you!" Shelby raced out, grabbing and shaking her hand. "I loved your presentation in Harvard about the climate shift between the Jurassic and Triassic era! You're..."

"Yes, thanks, but I'm not a doctor." Kendall corrected her. "Where are the offices?"

"In the back." Shebly told her. Kendall and one of the guys with her just left. Koda, however, approached the desk.

"Burger." He told her.

"Uh...yeah, sure...whatever." She told him, reaching to the hot lamp behind her and wrapping a bronto burger in greaseproof paper. "Um...so...are you...?"

"Sick on plane, hungry." Koda told her bluntly, taking a huge bite. He looked to the burger. "Too cooked."

"I'll try to remember that in future." Shelby stated as he walked away. She sighed and rested her face in her hands. "Yeah, because that guy is SO much more qualified than I am to be on the dig team."

As Koda got to the back, licking his fingers clean of the leftovers of his bronto burger, Kendall and Chase were waiting by a plaster T-rex head. Kendall just sighed.

"Koda, we were worried." She told him.

"Well, she was." Chase corrected her.

"Hungry." Koda replied gruffly. Given the fact he'd thrown up on the plane, Kendall wasn't exactly too surprised. However, this was the part she knew was important and that they'd need to know about.

"Alright, I've received a message; this is the way we get in to the new headquarters." Shelby told them. She reached into the T-rex's mouth, pulling one of the teeth, at which its tongue dropped down into a slide. Kendall climbed inside and slid down it.

"This Mercer guy has a flair for the dramatic, I'll give him that." Chase commented. "After you."

Koda swung himself inside, sliding down the chute into the base, at which Chase checked around for witnesses and followed suit. The entrance closed after them.

When they arrived at the bottom of the slide, they found a huge expanse of caves, most of which were empty, but they could see that someone was setting up huge banks of computers. Kendall was waiting for them.

"Wow, this is...pretty amazing." Chase stated. "So, what is all of this?"

"This will be our base of operations." Kendall told them. "Scans have shown the largest readings of Energem radiation is coming from this area, so we're going to start searching from here for the other eight."

"Wait...you know how many of these things there are?" Chase asked, holding up his Energem. "How'd that happen?"

"Because I told her." Keeper stated, pulling down his hood as he abandoned his work setting up the computers. Kendall gestured towards him as the guys stared at him.

"I'd like you to introduce you to Keeper." She told them. "He brought the Energems to Earth. He's an extra-terrestrial..."

"Wait...he's an alien?" Chase asked. Kendall just looked at him.

"Is that really the most surprising thing you've heard?" She asked. He had to concede that point. Keeper approached them.

"Allow me to show you what happened." He stated. "It will be more effective and far quicker than explaining it to you."

He placed a hand on each of their foreheads, at which images started to flow into their minds.

Long ago, far longer than the human race had even existed, somewhere in the region of 65 million years or so previously, Keeper was flying his ship, desperately trying to avoid the blasts coming from the ship pursuing him. It spun and flipped as he tried to get away, but his pursuer was relentless. In the end, some blasts finally caught its hull. The ship spun out of control, all the way to the ground.

Keeper managed to raise a shield around himself, protecting himself from the impact. When he got there, he knew he didn't have long before his pursuers would make the surface and be after him.

"Where are they, they've got to be here." He remarked, looking around the wreckage of his ship desperately. He was so intent on his search that he didn't notice a T-rex walking up to him. Either that or he didn't care enough to take notice. It was hard to tell. Either way, when it caught his attention, roaring into the heavens, he didn't seem at all phased.

"I mean you no harm." Keeper stated. It was a strange message; they could feel it through their mind, like it was intended to be understood regardless of language. Keeper looked into its eyes.

"Gather the bravest among you." He instructed it. "I need your help."

With that, the T-rex walked away, leaving him alone in the clearing. Keeper searched through the wreckage.

"There it is." He stated as he found the Energems at last. He took them out of the container, but knowing that his pursuer would not be far behind him, he knew he didn't have time to arrange anything else, so he took the damaged energy crystal that powered his ship and placed it in the container that had contained the Energems.

He then hid the Energems and lay down on the ground. A monster came into view, and started looking through the wreckage.

"Ahh, there's his ship!" The creature announced as he arrived on the scene. "Where are those Energems?"

Keeper lay still, not moving as he approached, playing possum.

"They've got to be here somewhere!" Fury growled in frustration. "I WILL find them."

His gaze finally fell on the fallen form of Keeper. He gave him a sick smile.

"Ah, Keeper, you've finally met your fate." He announced. "Just to make sure you're destroyed once and for all!"

As he raised his sword, his eye caught a container buried in the rubble. His boss, Sledge, only cared about the Energems. While he would gladly take Keeper's demise as a bonus, all he wanted was the gems, that was why he had sent Fury to Earth.

"Wait, the Energems." Fury stated, walking away and leaving Keeper alone. He picked up the container. "Yes, at last...Master Sledge will become..invincible!"

He left, at which Keeper revived and got to his feet. It wasn't long before he was joined by a group of dinosaurs.

"Gather round my friends. You are the mightiest creatures on the planet. I need your help." He said regally, unrolling a canvas bag before him. Inside were ten glowing gems. "These are the legendary Energems. Their incredible power transcend space and time, good and evil!"

He looked to the creatures pleadingly as he continued to explain, his incredible power managing to make his words transcend any form of understanding or language barriers. All of the dinosaurs present paid attention to his words.

"Your spirits will bond with them and keep them safe." Keeper explained. "If they fall into evil hands, the entire universe will be in great danger."

The Energems levitated off the rock, and flew into the assembled dinosaurs, merging with them. They all left shortly afterwards.

"Ah, the Energems are now safe." Keeper stated. He then heard someone calling out his name. "Fury, he survived!"

With that, he broke the connection. Both Chase and Koda stared at him.

"Fury...you know Fury." Chase stated. "He attacked me back home when I first got this thing."

"Koda know Fury." Koda told him. Keeper just nodded.

"Fury works for the one who pursued me to this planet. He has been searching for the Energems all this time." Keeper told them. "Now, I must ask you to stop him."

"Look, I know I'm strong and everything, but the last time I went up against Fury I didn't exactly mop the floor with him." Chase stated bluntly. "How are we meant to deal with that?"

"I'm glad you asked." Kendall replied, pulling back a sheet over a table near her. "These are your Dino Chargers, and these are your morphers. These will help maximise the power boost your Energems give you."

"Really?" Chase asked. "You expect us to just trust that this shit works?"

"Well, yes." Kendall answered. Koda picked up the oversized pistol, staring at it.

"How does it work?" He asked. Kendall approached him carefully.

"Here, I'll show you." She answered, standing beside him.

Upstairs, Shelby was at the counter, her elbow resting on it, while she rested her chin on her hand. The job was every bit as dull as she had predicted. It was mostly kids, and families she dealt with, people who had paid for a museum tour stopping off before they left to get something to eat since it was simpler than going back into town for something. She sighed as someone came to the desk.

"Dino Bite Cafe, how may I help you?" he asked in an off-hand way that in no way hid her contempt for the job.

"I'd like a Bronto Burger meal deal with a freshly squeezed lemonade as the drink and a Kiddy T-rex box with an orange juice." He stated. "I'd like the burger medium-rare, and I'd like the fries extra crispy."

"Anything else?" Shelby asked.

"I'd like it quick; I need to get the kid back to her mother in half an hour." He stated. "So chop chop!"

Shelby went to the rack looking for stuff to give them. The man just coughed.

"I DID ask for medium-rare." He reminded her. "How do you expect it to be medium-rare if it's been under the lamps for hours?"

"I'm sorry sir; I'll look in the back." Shelby said through a forced smile. What the hell difference did it make? All of the stuff here was mass-produced shit anyway, that was the way she saw it. Pretty much everything probably tasted like Styrofoam. She took the first burger she found on the hot plate without even checking, and put it in a bun, wrapping it up.

She came back out with a bag, prepared for take-away.

"Alright, that's one Bronto Burger meal deal and one T-Rex kiddie box that will be..."

Shelby punched in a few keys.

"217 dollars." She announced. The man just glared at her.

"Really?" He asked.

"That's what the till says." Shelby stated.

"Would you like to check that again?" He asked. "Do you really think an adult and child eating in a fast-food place should cost over two hundred dollars?"

Shelby had to admit, when it was phrased like that it did sound wrong. She checked the till again and realised the plastic covering for the keypad had slipped, meaning she had been pressing the wrong buttons. She adjusted it.

"I'm sorry sir, let me run that..." She just recoiled as he spat some of his burger on the floor.

"Do you call that medium-rare?" He roared. "Where's your boss?"

"Uh...he just got transferred this morning." Shelby told him honestly. The customer just threw the burger at her.

"Well, that plaque up there guarantees a hundred percent satisfaction or no charge. Guess what, I'm not satisfied!" He stated. "Now if you can be bothered, go and get my order before I feel the need to call Anton Mercer Industries and have you fired!"

Shelby had to bite her lip as she went to get his amended order. At least he wouldn't see what she did to his burger before she gave it to him.

Back in the cave, Koda and Chase were just familiarising themselves with the new base f operations. Koda came up to Kendall, beaming brightly.

"There cave over there, not needed." Koda told her. She just smiled.

"It's fine Koda, you can stay there." She told him. "I figured this climate would be just like your home."

Koda ran off, skipping gleefully at the thought of his new home. Chase came over.

"So...that leaves the question, where do we stay?" He asked her.

"Anton's arranged a deal with an apartment block." She told him. Chase came closer.

"So...we'll be rooming?" He asked her, putting his arm around her. Kendall just threw his arm off.

"Let's get something clear, I have a few rules." Kendall told him. "I don't date guys younger than me, I don't date guys that work for me, and I don't date guys dumber than me." She told him. "I DEFINITELY don't date guys that fit all three categories."

"Ouch." He responded as he heard this. Kendall threw a key at him.

"It's the corner of third and fifth." She told him. "I trust this'll be the last time we have this discussion."

Chase didn't say another word, choosing instead just to leave. Kendall went to the computers as she got a reading on another Energem.

"Shit, the residual radiation in the area's screwing up all the scanning equipment." She commented as Keeper came to her side. "But unless I'm wrong, it looks like we've found another Energem."

"It would appear so." Keeper answered. "Go carefully, I doubt Fury will be far behind."

"That's what they're for." Kendall replied as she gestured to the guys. "Guys! It's time to go! I'll explain how your tech works on the way."


	5. The Pink Energem

As the lunch rush hit, Shelby found herself hating her job even more than normal. Knowing that it would take too long to get her up to speed on the operation of the till, the supervisor simply instructed Shelby to go out onto the floor to deliver food and clear tables. It was, if anything, even worse than being behind the desk.

She couldn't figure out what, if any kind of numbering system they used for the tables. Table 15 was next to table 6 for instance, which was only a short way from table 19. It was so confusing that very quickly she found herself getting mixed up as to what table what order was going to.

"Table 7." The supervisor told her as he handed her a tray with food on it. Shelby just stared at him kind of blankly. "Table 7!"

"Uh...that way?" She asked. The supervisor just sighed and pointed over to the table.

"You see that table by the fern with the hungry, angry looking customers at it?" He asked her. "Well, that's table 7. Maybe it'd be a good idea to go and deliver their food?"

Shelby just rushed over to the table as quickly as she could. This was when another issue arose. Shelby was no ballet dancer. She was not exactly known for her grace or balance. In fact, throughout a lot of her life, she had been considered quite clumsy. She barely managed to get to the table through the crowded room with minimal spilling of the drinks. She got to the table, putting down the tray.

"Alright, that's two uh..." She still hadn't remembered the silly names of all the dishes they got. Were the club sandwiches called Pterodactyl or Stegosaurus Sandwiches? She knew the Fossil Fries and the Bronto Burger...she ended up just dumping the food on the table. "Well, you all know what you ordered. Enjoy!"

As she was heading back to the table, she saw Shelby, Chase and Koda heading back out of the museum. She abandoned her tray, heading over to Kendall as they were about to leave.

"Ms Morgan, wait up!" Shelby called out. Kendall was busy looking at a chart.

"Chase, go and prepare the jeep." She told him. "We'll be out in a second. I just have..."

"Ms Morgan!" Shelby called out again. Kendall just looked to her.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Listen, I'm a real fan of all of your work." Shelby told her. "I've read practically everything you've written, and all of Anton's work and..."

"We're in kind of a hurry; I'm going to need you to get to the point here." Kendall interrupted her. Shelby took a deep breath.

"I really...like...REALLY want to be a palaeontologist." She told Kendall. "I'm already working to get the money, but I was thinking...maybe I could get a job on the dig team?"

Kendall just looked completely unconvinced.

"Look, I know I don't have any degrees or diplomas or anything, but I'm not asking for anything special, just a chance." Shelby rushed out. "I'll do anything, load the jeep, clean the tools...I just want to learn."

"This really isn't the time to discuss it; we have an urgent dig to get to." Kendall told her.

"Urgent?" Shelby asked. "The fossils have been there for millions of years, I doubt another few minutes are going to make a difference."

"Well that's just the thing. You're not the only self-taught elf-proclaimed 'expert' on dinosaurs in this city." Kendall told her, putting particular emphasis on the word expert. Shelby couldn't miss the note of sarcasm. "In fact, digging up anything that isn't nailed down is kind of the city's main pastime by the looks of things, so when we get a tip on a dig site, we need to get there before every amateur with a trowel in a ten mile radius."

Shelby was about to say something, to express her dissatisfaction with the way Kendall had spoken to her, but nothing intelligible came out of her mouth.

"Oh, and the main thing I look for in my dig teams is the ability to take instruction and do their jobs." She told her. "And by the looks of that riot behind you, I'd say it looks like that's something you need to work on."

With that, they just left the museum. Shelby turned back to the scene of chaos that was the cafe, where the customers were on the verge of a full-on riot. It boggled her mind how the restaurant could descend into such insanity when she had only left her post for a couple of minutes.

The team arrived at the new dig site, but it was clear that they were the only ones in the area. Chase just shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well THIS is disappointing." He muttered. "You're sure that Fury and Sledge even know..."

"They know the Energems are here alright." Kendall assured him. "Now, we have three and they have none."

"So where do we start looking?" Chase asked her. "I remember finding my Energem in a fossil."

"The Energems bonded to the dinosaur they were gifted to. All the Energems will be found within their remains." Kendall informed him. "If these scans are to be believed...I think we're looking for a triceratops."

"Well that one I've heard of." Chase told her with a smile. "I mean, I know my Energem's powerful and all that kind of thing, but I have to admit I'd never even HEARD of a Parasaurolophus before all of this."

"I suppose it's not one of the well-known ones like a Tyrannosaurus or a Stegosaurus." Kendall replied with a shrug. "Come on guys, look for it! It's a Triceratops, it's the size of an ELEPHANT for goodness' sake, it can't be that easy to hide."

"Well, it HAS been hidden for the last 65 million years." Chase reminded her. Kendall just sighed. She guessed she had left herself open for that one.

"Well, we got here first, so let's just get this over with before..."

"You'd better run!" They heard a low, growling voice say. They all turned around to see a monster standing a little way from them. He was icy blue in colour, and gave off an aura of deep cold. The ground under his feet seemed to freeze solid as he walked. His hands were massive, spiked claws that looked like they were capable of shredding steel.

"I'm going out on a limb here and suggesting this guy is after our Energem, and he works for Fury." Chase stated with authority as he and Koda confronted him.

"I am Ice Age! Leave now and I will spare your lives!" He told them. Kendall checked her scanner again, hoping that it had a better track on where the Energem was.

"Alright guys, this is what we've been preparing for." Kendall told them. "Keep this guy busy, I'll find the other Energem."

"Koda not run!" Koda put down bluntly. As he and Chase confronted the monster, they both produced their Dino Chargers; vessels that Kendall had created for the Energems that would help harness their power. They clicked the command to unlock it at which their morphers appeared in their other hand. Slamming their Dino Chargers into the slot, they closed up the morphers and prepared them.

"Energise!" They called out together, spinning the chamber on their pistols. "Unleash the power!"

In a bright flash of light, they transformed into their Ranger forms for the first time in a combat situation. The monster just stared at them.

"Now this is the time we give YOU the opportunity to run." Chase told him. Ice Age opted for the other option, firing a blast their way that froze everything in its path. Chase and Koda rolled clear.

"Alright, let's see how this gear really works!" Chase stated, opening fire with his Dino Blaster. "Time for a thaw!"

Meanwhile, back at the Dino Bite Cafe, Shelby finally got a chance to breathe as the lunch rush ended. She was just managing to get caught up on the cleaning, clearing off the last of the tables and wiping them down with an anti-bacterial spray.

She was still seething as she did so. He couldn't believe the way Kendall had spoken to her. She had been reading anything on dinosaurs she could find for years. She'd read all the greats, Dr Oliver, Ms Morgan, and even the great Anton Mercer himself. She didn't claim to be qualified, she knew she wasn't, but she was already better read than many university level students just starting out in the field. Kendall hadn't even given her the time of day.

Kendall was something that Shelby aspired to. Palaeontology, like many sciences, had a tendency to be very male-dominated. Kendall was unusual. Not only was she a woman in a male-dominated field, she was highly accomplished by a young age. She was considered highly respected in the field, and her work was world-renowned. Shelby had taken particular delight in reading her work, imagining herself in that position one day. Perhaps...she had dared to dream...even working with her. Having met her though, she had found one of her idols to be far from what she expected. She was rude, she was cold and she was dismissive.

As she finished up with her tables, she cast a look back to the counter, where she saw the supervisor slip a hand into his pocket, before closing the till. He looked over to Shelby.

"That was some first day huh?" She asked. He just sighed.

"Well that's one way of putting it." He responded sarcastically. "You can't use the till, you can't remember table numbers, you don't know anything about the food...did I miss anything?"

"It's...uh...my first day?" Shelby offered weakly. She still hated the job, but despite her stumbling block with Kendall, she still hoped that she could convince her that she would be an asset on a dig team. For now, she needed to ensure she wasn't kicked out the door. The supervisor just picked up a huge bag of trash.

"Well, can you at least take out the trash?" He asked, shoving it into her chest. Shelby just took it from him, turning and heading for the loading area.

"You have no idea how tempting that is." She muttered.

Back at the site of the battle, Kendall ducked for cover as Chase and Koda dealt with Ice Age. The monster seemed to be powerful, but the power of the Energems, backed up by her technology seemed to be making the difference. She just needed to find the Energem, and this whole mission would be worth it.

As an errant blast hit a rock face nearby, blasting off some rock, she finally got a break. She could see a gem glowing with Pink energy glowing out of an oddly-shaped rock. On closer inspection, she found that it was the unmistakable shape of a beak.

"Triceratops!" She rushed out, looking for an opportunity. She caught a glance in the direction of the battle, and seemed to realise that Ice Age had seen it too.

"Guys, cover me!" She yelled, making a break for it. She knew that she didn't have long before Ice Age made his move, and her only course of action was to get there first. If he got the Energem, then it was all for nothing.

She scrambled over the rocks, slipping a little as Ice Age froze some of them, but managed to regain her footing. The Energem was only a short distance away. If she could just get it and activate it, she was certain that it would tip the scales in their favour. She re-doubled her efforts, scrambling up the rocks as quickly as she could.

She reached out to grab the pink Energem, but there was a burst of pink light and she felt like she'd been kicked straight in the heart. Kendall flew backwards off the rocks, and sprawled on the ground below, her head striking the ground sickeningly. She stopped moving, and just lay on the ground. The Pink Energem landed a short way from her hand.

"KENDALL!" Koda yelled, seeing her fall. He started to run towards her.

"Koda, we need to finish this guy!" Chase shouted as he powered up his blaster. When he opened fire, he managed to strike Ice Age with a telling blow. The monster stared over at the Energem lying on the ground, so close to him, but he knew that he was already injured. These Rangers were more powerful than he had anticipated. He needed to re-group.

Ice Age ran off, disappearing into the distance, at which Koda and Chase went to Kendall's side. Koda ran some fingers across the side of her head, finding that they were covered in blood. He just showed it to Chase.

"Kendall hurt." He told him. Chase started to think of what to do. He'd seen a few accidents in his time skateboarding, but he didn't claim to be an expert. He knew that ideally they shouldn't move her, due to the risk of spinal injury, but they were miles from anywhere, and in this rocky, wooded terrain, an ambulance would take too long. Their jeep wasn't far.

"Help me lift her." Chase told him. "Kendall, can you hear me? Are you conscious?"

He didn't get an answer, not a good sign. Whenever someone lost consciousness, it was time to worry, especially with head injuries. Koda reached for the Pink Energem.

"Koda, don't..." Before he could say anything though, the Blue Ranger had picked up the Energem, only this time nothing happened. He didn't seem to suffer any ill effect at all. After putting the Energem in his pocket, Koda lifted Kendall, carrying her to the jeep.

"Alright...um...I'll get us to the hospital." Chase told him. "Lie her down on the back; make her as comfortable as you can."

Koda just nodded in understanding, hopping into the back of the jeep with Kendall, sitting with her, ensuring she was kept safe as Chase tried to figure out from the map which way was the fastest route to the hospital, and blasting out of the area as quickly as the jeep could take them.

Sometime later, Kendall started to come to, in completely unfamiliar surroundings. As she did, Koda and Chase were waiting in the room.

"Don't get up." Chase told her. "You've been unconscious about an hour and a half."

"What...what happened?" She asked them.

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us that." Chase told her honestly. "One second you're about to grab the Pink Energem, the next thing we know you're on the deck, and we're seriously worried we're looking for a new mentor."

"Kendall remember?" Koda asked her. She just shook her head.

"Not much." She admitted. "I remember grabbing the Energem...then...next thing I know I'm waking up here."

"The doctor says you were most likely unconscious before you hit the ground." Chase informed her. "You went limp, that's why most of your injuries are superficial."

"Superficial?" Kendall asked. "They sure as hell don't feel superficial."

"You have a mild concussion." He informed her. "They want you to stay in overnight for observation..."

"The Energem!" She rushed out. "Where is...?"

"Koda get Energem." He informed her, showing her the Pink Energem.

"He could pick up an Energem, but it didn't harm him?" Kendall asked him. She just looked more confused than before. "Wait...you're already bonded to an Energem. People who are bonded to Energems must be able to handle them safely."

"So what about you?" Chase asked. "Why did...this...happen."

"Wait...Keeper said that the Energems choose their bearer." Kendall stated.

"So the gem...what? It rejected you?" Chase asked. Kendall just nodded sadly.

"It looks that way." She answered. He couldn't disguise her disappointment. She had presumed she would end up being chosen by the Pink Energem. However this was something she had never foreseen.

"So what do we do about this?" Chase asked her. Kendall just shrugged.

"I guess we just have to find someone else for it to bond to." She answered. "Clearly it doesn't want me."

"Alright, Ms Morgan should get some rest now." One of the doctors told them. "You can come back tomorrow."

"Chase...um...take that thing we found back to the museum." Kendall told him. "Make sure you keep it somewhere safe."

"No problem." He assured her. "Just try to rest up."

As they left, Kendall reached for her jacket hanging on the chair next to her bed, fishing out her wallet. She opened it up, looking at a picture inside as a tear rolled down her face. How could this happen? She was an authority on Energems. Hell, she was THE authority on Energems, no one else knew they existed, much less what they were. Kendall had handled both Koda and Chase's Energems and suffered no ill effects. It was true that both of them were bonded to their Energems before she had met them, but that didn't explain this. Why had the gem, the one she was certain she would bond to reject her like that? What had it seen in her that made it decide she was unworthy of its power? More than that though, she was disappointed that she had failed in the legacy left behind for her.

"I guess I'm not that much like you after all." Kendall sighed. "I'm sorry I failed."


	6. A Tale of Two Brothers

In a remote farm, far from the city, a young man rose from his bed. It couldn't even be called the crack of dawn, because it would be a while yet before the sun rose. He had even managed to beat the cockerels crowing as he normally did. Riley shut off his alarm before it went off, and got out of his bed.

As he turned on the lamp, just over the mirror in his dresser, some family hand-me-down that had been carved by hand by one of his ancestors, he started to look out some clothes. He was up far earlier than he needed to be, at least as far as his mom and his brother were concerned, but he had a lot to do today.

Riley didn't mind admitting he wasn't exactly a normal kid. He would say it was down to the fact he was a country kid, but that didn't really explain it. The nearest school in his catchment area was on the outskirts of the city, which meant it had a pretty even mix of both country and city kids. Riley never really found himself fitting in with any of them.

He wasn't a bad person, he loved his family, he took good care of his dog Rubik, but it was kind of like nothing around him felt like it was the place he was meant to be. He wasn't especially fond of getting dirty and he really preferred to stay at arms' length from the sharp beaks of the family chickens...neither of which was a particularly useful trait on a kid that grew up his whole life on a family run farm. He just would much rather spend his time indoors with logic puzzles, which always fascinated him.

He had always liked to look for order in chaos. He liked to find a solution to any problem. He was given a Rubik's cube for his seventh birthday, and by the third day, he had solved it and was handing it to everyone and anyone that would spare the few minutes it took to mix it up so he could do it again. He had made more use of the family chess board, something of a folly that had been whittled by his grandfather from a tree he had felled to put up a new barn than anyone else. When his family stopped playing with him, he started playing via mail, and later E-mail with everyone and anyone he could find that would play with him. He had even named his dog Rubik, after the creator of his favourite puzzle.

That being said, he wasn't a typical nerd, something that was demonstrated by the fact they stayed away from him just the same way as the other kids did at school. He had a pretty good build on him, well toned and healthy, the result of his other obsession. His parents had been fans of old movies, and would watch them with the kids after the chores were done and everyone had cleaned up after dinner before they went to bed. While his brother had quickly found them not to his taste and started passing his time in other ways out in the yard, climbing trees and suchlike, Riley would sit and watch them with his parents, completely enthralled...and then came the day that his parents let him watch a movie starring Christopher Lee...from that moment, he had a new obsession!

Despite his well-earned reputation for horror movies, Christopher Lee had a major talent of renown. He was an accomplished and world-famous fencer even beyond the silver screen. He had performed the vast majority of his own fencing scenes in movies, including his sequences in the latest Star Wars films when he was well into his eighties!* Riley was transfixed by the artistry and the strategy of the art, and started to watch anything he could find with sword play. Before long, he wanted to join in, and no amount of comments from his family about the fact no one carried swords anymore would convince him otherwise. In the end, after he'd spent three months doing chores for all the neighbouring farms and saving the money he earned to pay for a second-hand foil and some lessons, it was clear he wasn't going to let this drop and his parents finally agreed to let him take lessons and get equipment...within reason given the family budget.

That was the reason he was getting up so early. The sad fact was the family budget didn't extend especially far in such an expensive hobby. Generally, they only covered his lessons, and relied on the club having safety equipment he could borrow. Even second-hand equipment was pretty expensive, so Riley only got to go to lessons a handful of times a month, meaning if he was going to get anywhere he needed to train on his own. That wasn't a huge thing for Riley, he was so determined that he was willing to put in the time, but finding the time meant he had to make some sacrifices...including an extra hour or two in bed!

He went to the old barn, the one that wasn't really used for anything anymore. His family had intended to tear it down once they built a new one, but knowing that Riley needed somewhere for his new hobby, they let him keep it as somewhere to satisfy his bizarre hobby. Picking up an aging foil he'd managed to acquire from one of the other students, he performed a quick salute to his imaginary opponent, before beginning his workout.

Back in the city, a nurse came into Kendall's hospital room, finding her out of bed and getting dressed. Kendall saw her as she was pulling on a jacket.

"Good, you saved me some time." Kendall told her. "Can you send a doctor in here? I'm signing myself out."

"Miss, I really don't..."

"Just go and get a doctor." Kendall interrupted her. The nurse went in search of the on-call doctor as Kendall gathered the last of her things. By the time she picked it up, the nurse had returned with the doctor.

"Miss, you should really..."

"I'd like to sign myself out." Kendall insisted. "If you could just get the form..."

"You have a concussion, you've been advised to stay overnight for observation." The doctor told her. Kendall just looked at him like he had told her the earth-shattering fact that two and two made four. Only hours before, she had been thrown off a rock face to the ground. Everything ached, and her head especially was pounding, but she knew what was at stake. She didn't have the time to be laid up in a hospital, waiting for someone to tell her that she would be alright.

"I know, my hearing wasn't affected." Kendall told him. "Now, about those forms..."

"Would you at least let me examine you?" He asked her.

"I really don't have time, I need to get home." Kendall said rather abruptly. "This is a hospital, not a prison, so unless you plan to section me, there's really nothing you can do to stop me leaving! Can I sign those forms now?"

"If you do, I'm going to list this as against medical advice." He warned her. "That means you'll have no legal recourse against the hospital if your condition deteriorates after you leave..."

"I know what it means." Kendall told him. He just sighed in defeat. Kendall was right about that much, if she wanted to leave, the only way he could stop her was if he could say that she was mentally unfit to make decisions about her own welfare, and that was pretty difficult to prove.

"Then I'll just take you to the desk." He answered. "Have you got some way of getting home?"

"I'll get a cab." She responded as they went to the reception desk to sign the forms releasing her from the hospital.

Riley ran into his room from the bathroom, his hair still damp from the shower, and started hurriedly getting dressed.

"Riley, are you ready yet?" His brother called in, pounding on the door.

"Just a minute!" Riley called back, pulling on a green polo shirt.

"Riley, if we don't leave now you're going to be late!" His brother told him. Riley already knew that. Once again, he'd lost himself in his work-out, getting caught up in a battle against some imaginary opponent. He'd only been snapped out of it when his phone's alarm went off, reminding him of his SCHOOL alarm. By the time he'd rushed through his chores and stepped into the shower, he was already in serious danger of being late. He finished up getting dressed, and grabbed his bag, running to the door, almost opening it straight into his brother's face.

"Whoa there!" His brother said, stepping back defensively.

"Sorry Matt." Riley answered. "Mom, can I...?"

His mom threw him a small paper bag, a breakfast she'd hurriedly made him to have on the go so he wouldn't be late for the bus. It was an uncomfortably common occurrence, so she had already made it.

"Thanks mom!" Riley told her as he ran out to the car, where Matt had gone to get it started. "Come on Matt, we've got to go!"

Matt sat in the car, starting up the engine as Riley dumped his bag in the trunk. It landed with a heavy thunk, causing Matt to look around. Riley saw the look on his face.

"God, what have you got in that thing?" He asked. "Have you packed your whole week's books so you don't have to change them each night again?" Riley just got into the passenger seat, looking a little sheepish. Matt just smiled and ruffled his hair, before handing him a comb. Riley took it and started to work on his hair as Matt pulled off before he'd even had a chance to fully fasten his seat belt. Riley pulled out a roll and ham and started tearing into it with his teeth as his brother raced onto the road at break-neck speed in his attempt to get to the bus stop before the bus left for school. Matt loved his brother dearly, but he had to admit this was becoming a bit of a habit.

Chase was up early and getting ready for work. In all honesty, he really didn't know what he would be doing since Kendall, his boss, wasn't going to be there and hadn't exactly filled them in on what she intended them to do while they weren't on official Ranger business. By his own admission, he really didn't know terribly much about dinosaurs, and without her there, he wouldn't have a clue what to do on a dig team. He suspected that Koda was probably much the same. It was unfortunate timing that Kendall had gotten hurt before she filled them in on their cover at the museum. He guessed that he could fetch and carry as well as anyone else, and he was sure there was plenty of heavy stuff in the museum that would need to be shifted into storage.

Before he put in his ear buds, he heard a crash out in the hall. He turned to the door, opening it to find Kendall in the doorway of the apartment opposite his. She was on her knees, gathering up some folders that she had dropped on the floor.

"Kendall?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I won't dignify that with an answer." She replied sarcastically, continuing to gather up papers that had spilled out of a box in her arms.

"What I mean is, aren't you meant to be in the hospital?" He asked her. She just sighed.

"Do you want to help or ask pointless questions?" She snapped in response. Chase just got down on the floor, helping her gather papers. "I was going to take this research into the lab and scan it into the database. Maybe it can help us refine our search..."

"Kendall, you're not meant to be up and about yet." Chase interrupted her.

"I'm a big girl, I know..."

"I know that yesterday afternoon I took you to a hospital after you cracked your head on a rock and were unconscious for half an hour!" Chase put down forcefully. He didn't want to antagonise her, but he was quickly learning just how wilful Kendall could be. He had a feeling she wasn't going to listen one way or another, but if he wanted her to hear anything, it was time to act more as a battering ram than a gently-worded memo.

"I'm not an idiot Chase, I know my limits!" She yelled at him. "I may not..."

"You aren't like Koda and me, you can't just get slammed into concrete and be fine in a couple of hours!" Chase interrupted her. "Now, since I doubt I'm going to be able to talk you into staying at home, much less going back to the hospital, can I at least offer to carry these before you drop them again?"

Kendall just shoved the box at him, heading towards the elevator. Chase just sighed as he got up.

"You're welcome!" He said somewhat sarcastically.

Meanwhile, Matt pulled up outside the High School. Today, they had lost the race with the school bus, arriving in time to watch it pulling away from the stop, which meant Matt had to take Riley all the way to school. It was well out of his way, and meant he had to hold up his own day, but he just had to get Riley there. As he pulled up outside, he turned off the engine and looked to Riley, who looked more than a little apologetic.

"Matt..."

"Don't bother Riley, it really isn't necessary." Matt sighed as he looked to him. "But this really has to stop. I still have to get to the hardware store to get supplies; those fences aren't going to fix themselves you know!"

"I know and I'm sorry." Riley told him. "Look, I promise..."

"Maybe your promises would mean a little more if you started keeping a few more of them." Matt said with a warm smile. He didn't really think of Riley as a bad person, he loved him more than anything. He just didn't want him to grow up not knowing what responsibilities were. By the time he got to the hardware store and got back to the farm, it would be time to do his own chores, meaning the fences would have to wait until another day. He loved the way Riley lit up when he would go into his fantasies and his imagination, pretending to be D'argatnan or whoever he was that day, the fact was that the real world demanded his attention too. He needed to learn that. He hugged his brother. "Go on, before you get a tardy slip."

Riley got out and took his bag out of the trunk, waving to his brother as he pulled off. Matt got as far as the lights only for them to turn red. He started to adjust the radio when he noticed something in his rear-view mirror. Riley was still standing on the sidewalk, not going into the school. The way he was looking around, it looked like he was looking for someone.

"Come on Riley, what are you up to?" Matt asked. Just then, a minivan turned up, parking next to Riley. He watched as his brother threw his bag inside, before climbing inside. Matt furrowed his brows. He didn't really know much about Riley's friends. His brother never really talked about them. There were times he was worried he didn't have any friends, but as he watched the minivan pulling away, he could tell one thing. Whatever Riley was doing, he wasn't going to school.

His attention was snatched as a horn blared. The lights had changed, and the guy behind him was getting impatient. Matt started to drive off, but it kept playing on his mind. Riley was a good kid, he wasn't the kind of kid to play hookie...or was he? It pained him to think about it, but lately he was getting less and less idea what was going on in Riley's world. Making a split decision, he tugged hard on the wheel, spinning his car around, almost causing several cars to plough into him. Horns blared and several drivers cursed him loudly as he started in the opposite direction. He'd already lost ground, but he could see the minivan up ahead. He knew his mom would be disappointed already that he couldn't repair the fences that day, and she would likely flip her lid when she found out he hadn't even gotten the stuff he needed to do the job, but he needed to know what his little brother was up to.


	7. Riley's Day Off

Matt swore loudly as he was forced to drive in the city at this time of day. One of the things he loved about the country was the fact that he rarely had to worry about traffic. Indeed, he considered it a busy week if he encountered 10 other cars on the road in a week. Here though, people were all in a rush. They were impatient, and they were rude. It was something he could live without.

What compounded factors was the fact he was looking for something in particular. He was looking for the minivan his brother had climbed into when he'd taken the decision to cut school. He'd lost it at a junction a street or two ago, but he drove around hoping he'd catch sight of it again. As he heard another horn blaring, he flipped the guy off while turning down another street.

It was then he found something that wasn't familiar. The space opened out, not like the forest of skyscrapers he saw in the rest of the city as he happened on a sports arena. As he was driving past, he saw the minivan in the parking lot. To a cacophony of blaring horns, he turned in to the parking lot, and looked around to find a space. He finally found one near the back of the arena.

As he got out, he was completely confused as to what was going on. Riley was never into sports. His eyes glazed over when he tried to explain hockey to him, and as far as football was concerned, he could never remember Riley even PRETENDING to care about it. As he approached the only thing that looked like an entrance he could see, some guy just shoved a box into his hands.

"Here, take this up to the main floor." He grunted. Matt could tell the guy had mistakenly assumed he was part of the staff, but didn't really care much. It was a way into the building. He took the box, and immediately discarded it as soon as he was inside. He climbed a stairwell as far as he could, before finally finding a door that seemed to lead somewhere. He could already hear voices as he prepared to enter.

He found himself inside the arena, and looking down on something he only recognised from some of the YouTube videos his brother had forced him to watch. He now understood why Riley had skipped school, it was a fencing tournament. It wasn't as though he could say he could name many prominent tournaments in the area, so when one was pretty much on their doorstep, he could understand why Riley went to it.

He made a point to be quiet and casual as he walked around, looking for a seat. He didn't want to alert security to the fact he was in here without a pass which he was sure a lot of the crowd had paid a lot of money for. He quickly sat down, pretending he was meant to be there as he saw a guard coming close. He really didn't want to attract attention to himself.

Down on the floor, he heard an uproar from the competitors and the fans as a point was scored. He didn't claim to be an expert, but he had been bombarded by Riley about the sport so much, he understood it to an extent. Fencing was, unsurprisingly, a sport that evolved around the practice of swordsmanship, especially around the European style developed mostly from France, Spain and Italy. The premise was simple enough, if you touched your opponent, it was a point. At least...that's what the layman would understand.

It was far more than simply a fancy game of tag. The most prominent and well-known event was the foil, which was designed to replicate a duel with rapiers. Rapiers were long, thin blades, with little weight behind them, by design they weren't designed for hacking or slashing. They were designed for pin-point thrusts, which is what the sport replicated. Where in a duel the point was to ram the rapier through an opponent, piercing something vital and dropping them with a single strike, in fencing it was replicated that way. Blunted foils would hit a breast plate with electronic sensors which would signify if the point did indeed strike it, indicating that if it were a real duel with real rapiers, it would be a kill strike.

He saw a guard coming close, and made a point of keeping quiet in his seat. He really didn't want to draw attention to himself. A huge yell went up and he realised he had missed another point...and given the way people were running onto the mat, it looked like it was the final point of the match. He was looking around to move on with his search when he heard an announcement.

"Your winner, and advancing to the next round of the foil, Riley Griffin!"

Matt was fortunate he was already sitting as Riley pulled off his face mask. He knew he was into fencing, but...he thought it was just a hobby. He had no idea he intended to actively compete, much less that he was at a level to do so. He had no experience of the sport, but having been involved in farming and shooting all his life, he could equate it to shooting. There was a big difference between someone who knew how to shoot and someone who could do so competitively. If Riley was putting himself against people who had the means to train extensively, he and his instructors obviously had a lot of confidence in their abilities.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up, seeing a security guard behind him.

"Excuse me sir." He stated. "I couldn't help noticing I couldn't see your pass."

Matt looked around, seeing that everyone else was wearing a pass around their neck. He was pretty conspicuous without one. He needed to think quickly.

"Uh...sorry, I didn't see the desk." He responded. "I thought you were sold tickets at your seat."

"The desk is over there." The guard told him, pointing to the desk. "Fifty dollars for a single event pass, or two hundred for a gold pass that lets you see all the events."

Matt was fortunate he was sitting down. It was a pretty big hit to hear that, but then he heard an announcement on the tannoy.

"Riley Griffin to the Epee mat." It announced. "Last call for Riley Griffin to the Epee mat. If Riley Griffin does not appear within the next sixty seconds, he will be disqualified."

Matt looked down to the floor, where Riley was sprinting to another mat. He found himself again reminded of all the times Riley had bored him to tears with his explanations of fencing. There were three separate styles, foil, epee and sabre. It seemed Riley had entered into more than one event since he was running between mats. He pulled some money out of his pocket and sighed. It was the money his mom had given him for the hardware store. He took a glance back to where Riley was setting up for another match, and made a decision.

"Where's the desk again?" He asked.

Over at the museum, Kendall was in her office, using her desktop, linked to the computers in the lab to enter her own records into the system. She was interrupted as Koda knocked on the door.

"Kendall...here?" He asked her. Obviously Chase had told him. She just nodded.

"Yes, I'm here Koda." Kendall told him. "Someone has to keep this place running. Not only do I have to worry about our stuff, it looks like this place is haemorrhaging money like..."

She cut off as she looked back to him, seeing him staring blankly at her. Koda had no concept of money, business or...well...much else to be honest. His life was simple enough, he did his part, and he was fed and had somewhere to stay. Even if her head wasn't still pounding, she would not have the time to explain the finer points of economics to him.

"I have a lot to think about." She told him. "Go and help Chase with inventory."

"Kendall not well, should rest." Koda stated. She just looked to him.

"I'm fine Koda." She assured him. "I'm a little hungry, but it looks like that's well in hand."

Shelby rounded Koda as she came in, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup, and some bread on it. As she laid it down, she couldn't help looking at Kendall as Koda left. It was a few seconds before Kendall realised she was still there staring at her and snorted.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Ms Morgan...are you alright?" She asked, noting Kendall's injuries. She just glared at her.

"I'm fine; it was just an accident on a dig." She told her.

"Well...as long as you're sure everything is alright." Shelby replied.

"Well no, it's not!" Kendall snapped at her. "I have a museum that's leaking money like a sieve, and apparently a cafe team that can't be relied on to do the job they're paid for!"

"Alright, message received." Shelby replied, holding up her hands defensively. She had been planning to bring up the subject of the dig team again, but she figured that right now wasn't really the best time. It was clear Kendall wasn't in a great mood, and she didn't strike her as the friendliest person to begin with. She just turned and muttered under her breath. "Bitch."

Kendall returned to her work, entering more of the data into the computer. It was slow going, the screen blurring in and out. She took off her glasses, stroking her eyes.

"Stupid replacement glasses." She muttered. Her glasses had been broken in the accident, and it would be at least a couple of days before new ones would be delivered. In the meantime, she had to make do with a pair she had picked up at a chemist on the way to work.

She picked up the spoon, ready to take some soup, but couldn't bring it from the bowl to her mouth without spilling. Looking to her hand, it was shaking a little, before she couldn't hold the spoon any longer and it clattered to the table. Kendall's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she slumped out of her chair, landing on a heap on the floor.

Back at the tournament, Matt sat in the stands, his gold pass hanging around his neck, following Riley around the building. It was quite a workout, but he was sure it wasn't as much of a workout as Riley was getting. He quickly found out that Riley had actually entered all three events! The foil, epee AND sabre. It meant that he had no sooner finished one match than he was running off to another.

The thing that astounded Matt though was that Riley was actually WINNING! He didn't doubt that he trained hard, but he had no idea how good he actually was. He was up against guys that had the means and the time to train in professional facilities full time as opposed to his self-taught style, and yet more than just holding his own, he was advancing in the ranks. He found himself cheering along with Riley's club as he went through the heats, racking up victories and rising in the ranks, right through the quarter finals, and even the semis. He was now in the finals of all three events.

Seeing Riley slumped on a bench, completely exhausted, quaffing some water as sweat dripped off him, he felt like charging out of the stands and hugging him, telling him how proud he was of what he accomplished, but seeing him around his club, he saw that Riley was in a place he seemed to belong.

"Riley Griffin to the epee mat!" The announcement called out. "Riley Grifen to the epee mat!"

Matt moved to the new stand, taking a seat as Riley went to the mat. Epee was another of the styles in fencing. It was a shorter blade, designed to replicate combat with a short sword, a style most often practiced by commoners who often fought with short swords or long daggers, unable to afford proper swords. Like the foil, it was a thrusting weapon, scored only by a strike from the tip, however the rules were a lot more lenient, and the entire body was considered a legitimate target as opposed to only the head and torso. It was a faster-paced, and more aggressive style. Matt watched as Riley stepped up, preparing his guard.

The first point came quickly...but not in Riley's favour. His opponent smashed his sword from his hand almost dismissively and scored the point quickly afterwards. They set up again, and the second point came, but again not in Riley's favour. He lasted longer this time, but he stumbled and fell, while his opponent scored an easy point.

Matt's blood started to boil as he heard people deriding Riley, chanting that he sucked. He saw his brother lifting his mask and doubling over, breathing deeply. It didn't take an expert to see the problem, he was exhausted! He had taken on match after match almost non-stop the whole day! As the referee asked him if he wanted to continue, he just nodded, before putting his mask back on and setting up again. It didn't take long before the inevitable result came. Matt could only watch as Riley left the mat, disappointed, making his way slowly towards his next event.

Shelby was working hard in the cafe, preparing some food and putting it under the heat lamps for the lunch rush. She definitely hated the job, and she wasn't sure how she'd ever get used to the feeling of burger grease coating her hands, but all things considered, she figured it could be worse. She could still be sitting at home, sulking and hoping a job opened up for her. As much as she loathed the rude customers, her bitch of a boss, the jerk of a supervisor, and the sheer tedium of the work, she guessed it was better than nothing.

"Burger?" Koda asked her. Shelby just handed him one.

"Rare." She responded. He took a bite, looking to it, frowning a little. "You want it rarer than THAT?"

"Burger good." He responded. Shelby could tell he was being kind since she was giving him free food. She didn't really know Koda's story, but given his broken speech and appearance, she figured he was possibly foreign, and that English wasn't his first language. She just nodded in understanding.

"I'll make the next one a little rarer." She assured him. He smiled and patted her shoulder.

"Thank you Shelby." He responded. As he left, she saw her supervisor chatting to some female customers as he handed them an order, his hand sliding into his jeans. She just rolled her eyes and figured no one would miss her. It wasn't busy, so she figured now was as good a time as any to get the dishes from Kendall's office. She just hoped her boss was in a better mood now.

As she got there, the door was closed. She knocked on it gently.

"Ms Morgan?" She asked. She didn't get an answer. She opened the door, taking her chances. "Ms Morgan, I was just here for..."

When she got inside, she saw the tray and the dishes on the floor, the food spilled all over the place. More alarmingly, she could see Kendall lying on the floor unconscious.

"Ms Morgan?" She rushed out, kneeling by her, shaking her to try and rouse her. "MS MORGAN!"

She didn't get a response. Kendall was completely unconscious. She held a hand near her nose, checking she was still breathing. She felt her breath, and knew Kendall was alive, but as she shook her, she couldn't get any sign of a response from her. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone, dialling 911.

"Emergency, I need an ambulance at Amber Beach Museum right away!" She rushed out. "I'm with a woman...she's breathing but she's unconscious and I can't wake her up!"

"What's your name?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Shelby." She replied. "Shelby Watkins."

"Shelby, try to stay calm." The operator told her. "An ambulance is on the way, in the mean time, stay with the patient and stay on the line in case anything changes."

"Sure." Shelby replied, looking around worriedly. She had no idea what to do, and no one else was near the office. All she could do was wait until the ambulance arrived.

Back at the tournament, Matt took his seat at the final event. Riley had been defeated in the sabre event as well, but he still had to be impressed that he had made it all the way to the final. In the last event, the foil, he was going up against a guy that looked more like a hair commercial model than an athlete. His name was Carlo, and he had a larger entourage than most of the rodeo riders Matt had seen in his day. He was tall, lean, and had a handsome, chiselled face with unblemished, olive skin. The crowd seemed to love him almost as much as the photographers, but clearly not as much as he loved himself. He blew a few kisses to the crowd as Riley stepped up, ignoring the referee's command to get up on the mat. The referee eventually lost patience as Carlo preened for the crowd, calling out an official warning and ordering him to the line.

"Shine that up for me." Carlo told the judges, pointing to the trophy. He put on his mask, and snapped his fingers, at which one of his entourage handed him his foil. Once the referee indicated the start of the match, there was a clash of blades, but it wasn't long before Riley stumbled to his knees as the buzzer sounded. Carlo started parading around, seeking adulation from the crowd.

"Come on Riley, get your breath back." Matt willed him. "You can kick this guy's pompous ass, come on!"

Riley set up, and they began again. This time, it was even shorter as with a single stroke, Carlo sent Riley's foil spinning from his hand, and scored an easy point. Riley pulled up his mask, and doubled over to catch his breath as Carlo posed for some selfies with his fans.

The referee talked with Riley, getting a nod to indicate he wanted to continue, at which they set up again. There was an exchange, and their blades carved an intricate dance, but as much as Matt wanted it to end differently, Riley dropped his blade again. The referee signalled to the judges, calling an end to the bout. He had ruled that Riley was unable to defend himself and ruled the match in Carlo's favour. Matt could see Riley's disappointment as he pulled off his mask.

Riley could hear the crowd erupting, cheering Carlo's decisive victory. He felt like his guts had been pulled out. He knew better than to just presume he would win his first tournament easily, but after three events, he had fallen short on all three. Carlo was posing for some more selfies when he managed to compose himself enough to walk over. Despite everything, despite his disappointment, he could still admit that Carlo had fought a good match. He extended a hand in respect.

"Well fought." Riley told him. Carlo smiled, and reached for him like he was about to shake his hand, only to pull it back and run it through his hair. The crowd laughed.

"Nice try little boy." He said in a patronising way. "Come back when you've grown up a little."

Carlo felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Matt standing behind him. Matt smiled, before punching him as hard as he could full in the face. People swarmed around Carlo as Riley just stared at his brother, his expression indicating he knew he had been busted.

"That's my little brother." Matt stated to Carlo, before looking back to Riley. "I think we need to talk."

**A/N:** OK, I meant to put this in last chapter, but interesting trivia, the facts I put in about actor Christopher Lee (marked with a * in the last chapter) are actually true! Indeed while he was filming the last Star Wars films, his lightsabre was redesigned to the curved-handled design specifically for him to make it more familiar when he performed his own fencing scenes...and the guy was over 80! Kudos to him! I just thought he was a fitting role-model for Riley.


	8. Legacy

Chase was working at the museum. That is to say, he was in his uniform, and he was paid to be there, but since Kendall wasn't really giving him or Koda much direction as to what exactly they were meant to be doing whether or not anyone could call what he did work was pretty much open to interpretation. In the meantime, he was finding ways to fill his time, and there was pretty much one way that Chase filled his day when he had too much time on his hands.

"So yeah, I was staying on Anton's island until about a week or so ago." He concluded his story. The girl he was talking to listened on in interest, hanging on his words as he spoke. He had found since he got to the US that his accent made him something of a novelty. Girls would often spend long periods talking to him for no other reason than just to hear him talk. That wasn't to say it made him any more successful in his attempts to get dates...but he was more than happy to take any advantage he could get. After all, when he was talking, girls were listening and that was the first step right?

"Oh, two of my friends just got shipped out there on a scholarship!" She rushed out. "They say the views are amazing there!"

"Well, it's not as beautiful as New Zealand, but then...I'm biased." He told her. "So...let's cut to the Chase...how about when I get off work, you and I go to the cinema?"

"Oh, um...well that sounds nice, but you should know...I'm engaged." She told him, showing him her ring finger. "And my fiancée, she's kind of the jealous type."

"She?" He asked. The young woman just nodded in response. "Well, she's a lucky girl then Cat."

Just then, there was a bit of a commotion as an ambulance pulled up outside and paramedics ran into the museum. Chase furrowed his brows seeing this.

"What's going on there?" Cat asked.

"Damned if I know." He replied. Shelby ran out of the back, flailing as she went.

"She's in the back here, she hasn't regained consciousness." She told them. "Her name's Kendall Morgan..."

"Kendall?" Chase rushed out. He followed the paramedics into the back as they followed Shelby.

"How long has she been unconscious?" One of the paramedics asked her. Shelby shook her head.

"I...I don't know...I found her like that about twenty minutes ago." She informed them.

"What happened?" Chase asked her as they got to the office and the paramedics started to work on her.

"I don't know, I just found her like this!" Shelby told him. "I came to clear up after lunch and I found her on the floor!"

"She fell during a dig and hit her head pretty hard yesterday." Chase told them. "She has a concussion, but she checked herself out of the hospital."

"Ms Morgan, if you can hear me, can you respond?" One of the paramedics asked as he shone a torch into her eyes. "No response, we need to get her to the hospital. Can you all clear the room please? We need room to move."

Chase just nodded, grabbing Kendall's desk and moving it against the wall as one of the paramedics went to get the gurney. Koda appeared at the door, drawn by all the fuss. As soon as he saw Kendall, he was about to interject when Chase went to the door and stopped him.

"Kendall..."

"We can't do anything for her mate; let the man do his job." Chase told him.

"Help Kendall?" He asked.

"That's right, he'll help her. We just need to give him room to work." Chase told him.

"Do you know if she's on any medication or has any medical conditions?" The paramedic asked. Chase just shook his head. The other paramedic arrived back with the gurney, at which they started the task of loading her onto it and strapping her in.

"I don't know, but I'll check her bag." He told them, grabbing her purse and beginning to empty it, searching for anything that the paramedics might need to know about. The paramedics raised the gurney, and wheeled Kendall out of the room, taking her back to the ambulance as Koda watched on in a daze. Shelby put her arm around him, seeing how upset he was.

"Kendall...be OK?" He asked.

"I hope so mate." Chase answered honestly. "I really hope so."

On the road, heading back to the farm, Matt couldn't keep the smile from his face. Although he was concentrating on the road, he couldn't help looking at the silver medal in his hand; one of the three Riley had won that day.

"My little brother, the finest sword in the state." He said with pride.

"Second finest, that's a silver medal remember?" Riley reminded him.

"One of three! You only lost because you tired yourself our running all over the building!" Matt stated, handing him the medal back. "You were amazing out there! That guy from Texas in the epee? He barely got a chance to move!"

Riley just smiled. He had expected Matt to be angry with him, but so far all he could do was gush over how well he had done in the tournament. Matt just sighed.

"Look, we still have to talk about school though." Matt told him. "You can't just cut..."

"I...didn't strictly speaking cut." Riley said sheepishly. "I had a permission slip."

"Really?" Matt asked him. "And who exactly signed that?"

"Uh...you did?" He offered, handing the permission slip to his brother. Matt glanced at it. It was indeed his signature, but since this was the first time he'd ever seen this form, he was sure that Riley had to have forged it.

"Impressive work." Matt complimented him. "But don't make a habit of it OK? Next time you want a signature, just ask for it."

As they pulled up at the farm, their mother was already waiting. Matt could see by the look on her face she wasn't happy. He was meant to be home hours ago to help her. By now, she'd have had to do all of his chores herself. As they got out, she had her arms crossed over her chest, and was glaring at Matt.

"Well, would you like to tell me where exactly you've been?" She asked.

"Well uh...the thing is...we missed the bus, so I had to take Riley to school." Matt began. "Then I had some engine trouble and..."

"I think I should let you know, the tournament was covered on the local news." She interrupted him. "So would you like to try that again?"

Riley was about to step in, but Matt held him back. He handed her the permission slip.

"Riley told me about it a couple of weeks back. He said some college recruiters go to these things and I thought it might be a good opportunity for him to get a scholarship."

Riley shifted a little uncomfortably. This was a complete lie. It wasn't as though he and Matt never lied to their mom before, but they definitely didn't make a habit of it. They were a close family, and they cared deeply about each other. Of course, like any kids, that didn't mean occasionally when they were growing up they weren't caught red-handed doing things they shouldn't and would try to keep each other out of trouble.

"He's 16! He doesn't go to college for another 2 years." She reminded Matt.

"The recruiters will still be watching." He told her. "You should have seen him today mom, he was amazing! It's his first tournament and he got three silver medals! He beat guys..."

"I saw the results." She interrupted him. "Matt...you know how important your chores are. I can't run this place by myself!"

"I'm sorry mom." He replied.

"Did you at least get to the hardware store?" She asked him. He sucked his teeth.

"Um...not so much." He replied honestly. There was no point in lying about that, it wasn't as though he could wave a magic wand and make the supplies he was meant to buy just appear.

"So do you have the money?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I had to spend it on my pass for the tournament." He told her. "I promise, I'll pay you back..."

"I expected a lot better from you Matt." She sighed, looking between the brothers. She could tell that there was a lot more to the story, but she had raised them both and knew how close they were. It would be frustrating and pointless to try and get them to rat each other out. Since they had both come home healthy and safe, she was happy to leave it at that. "Well done Riley. Just...in future if you want to do something like this...ask me alright?"

"I will mom." He assured her. As she walked away, he looked sheepishly at his brother. He was the one that was in the dog house. Riley, by virtue of being the youngest, got a lot more leeway in regards to his behaviour. Matt had a lot more responsibilities, especially since their father had passed on. Their mother relied on him to help keep the farm running. He knew that Matt had taken a bullet for him.

"Matt..."

"It's fine Riley." He assured him, knowing that he was likely feeling terrible about the fact he was in trouble, and it was all because he was trying to cover for him. Matt took his responsibility to the family business seriously, and Riley knew that he hated letting their mom down, never mind lying to her. "Just...try not to put me in that position again."

He patted him on the shoulder warmly.

"You did well today." He complimented him. "And for what it's worth, Carlo wouldn't have had a chance if you'd been rested."

As Matt left him, Riley smiled. He hated the fact that his brother got into trouble covering for him. He would find a way to make it up to him, but in the meantime he had to admit, despite how tired he was, he felt good. He had finally had a chance to compete, and although he was disappointed, he had given it his all, and he was happy with his performance.

In the hospital, Kendall finally opened her eyes. Her head was killing her, and her vision was a little blurry, but she could tell she wasn't in her office. The last thing she could remember was being in her office, working on her computer...and now she was here.

"You gave us all quite a scare." Chase told her. "Koda's not eaten a thing in the last couple of hours. I think that's a record for him."

"What happened?" She asked him.

"Well, the doctor said a lot of long and complicated words, but to cut a long story short, you fainted." He told her. "They said because you checked yourself out of the hospital, they didn't get a chance to see that your head injury was more serious than they first thought."

"I need to..."

"You need to stay in that bed if I have to duct tape you to it." Chase interrupted her abruptly. "Kendall, you have a concussion! You passed out! If Shelby hadn't found you...God knows what could have happened."

"You can't make me stay here!" She told him.

"You really want to challenge me on that?" He asked her. "You fainted trying to eat soup! What makes you think you're in any state to fight me?"

"I'm not some weak, helpless..."

"I never said you were!" Chase put down flatly, before throwing down a photograph. "It runs in the family doesn't it?"

"You went through my purse?" She asked him incredulously. "You had no right...!"

"I was trying to find out if you had any medication or medical conditions because...oh, that's right...you were unconscious and we couldn't ask you if there was anything the paramedics needed to know while they were making sure you didn't die!" He said rather aggressively. "That photo's pretty old...it took me a while to find out who she is. You never told me your aunt was a Power Ranger."

"She wasn't just a Ranger, she's a legend." Kendall told him. "I was ten years old when aunt Kendrix was chosen for the Terra Venture mission."

Kendall took a deep breath, looking at the picture.

"Even before then I idolised her. She was smart; beautiful...she was into all the same stuff I was. I cried for about three days straight when I found out she was leaving and I'd never see her again. I begged her not to go, but I knew that the mission was an amazing opportunity. Out of all the people in the world who applied, they picked her because she was the best." She told him. "They managed to send messages back at times. When I found out she'd become a Ranger, that my aunt was a real-life superhero, it just felt right. I bragged to all the kids at school about her."

"I can imagine." He said with a smile.

"Aunt Kendrix is one of the best scientific minds of her generation, but she was also a super hero." Kendrix told him. "She wasn't just any Ranger. She was the first one to make the ultimate sacrifice."

Kendall wiped away some tears as she recalled it.

"Psycho Pink had used the Savage Sword to attack the Pink Space Ranger. In doing so, she unleashed a power that was going to destroy the entire colony." Kendall told him. "Aunt Kendrix destroyed the Savage Sword, even though she knew what would happen. They say that the energy protecting it...it was burning her up...I can't even begin to imagine what kind of pain she was in, but she didn't give up, and she saved the entire colony. Over two hundred thousand people owed their lives to her."

"That's...that's a pretty big legacy to live up to." He admitted. "And I thought I was over-reaching when I idolised Tony Hawk."

She looked up to him, with tears in her eyes.

"When I found out I was going to be on the team that created the new powers...I leapt at the chance." She informed him. "But I failed...the Energem rejected me! It looked at me and...it decided I don't deserve its power! I mean...the gems chose you and Koda...no offence..."

"I'll try not to take offence." He stated.

"But me...what's wrong with me? Am I really such a terrible person?" She asked him.

"Well...not to kick you when you're down, but you aren't always the easiest person to get on with." He admitted.

"I...guess I can't argue with that." She admitted. "But I need to get out of here, there's more work to be done..."

"And you can do that when you've recovered." He told her. "Until then, you stay here until a doctor tells you that you're ready to leave. I believe they study for seven years FOR a good reason. They kind of know what they're talking about."

"Chase, I need..."

"You put a lot of pressure on yourself, you've got big shoes to fill I get it." He told her. "I don't claim to know much about Kendrix. I only know what I found out on her Wikipedia page. But I do know one thing. She sacrificed herself...but she didn't do it on a whim. She did it because she was left no other choice."

"Chase..."

"If I can't convince you to do it for your sake, if I can't get you to think about your own welfare, then think about ours." Chase told her. "You might not be a Ranger, but me and Koda are. That means we're on the front line, putting our arses on the line and the reason we can do that is because of your tech."

He looked her straight in the eye.

"We put our lives in your hands; we depend on your work to keep us safe. If we bit the big one in battle because the bad guys are stronger, that's just the way things go sometimes. If we get killed because our shit fails when we need it...you're the one that's going to have to live with that." He said firmly. He didn't like being so aggressive with her, but by now he really didn't know how else to get through to her. He knew she needed to have the message hammered home. "Kendrix may have sacrificed herself, but the one thing I'm certain she'd never have done is sacrifice anyone else on her team, and if you put us in danger because you're too stubborn and pig-headed to accept medical advice, you won't just be letting us down, or yourself, you'll be letting her down too."

Kendall just nodded, wiping away some tears.

"I'll stay." She assured him. "I'll wait until the doctors are happy I can go."

"Get some rest." He told her, stroking her shoulder gently. "I'd kind of like it if you could get back to making those cool toys."

"Thank you Chase." She replied. "I...I'm sorry. Thanks for helping me."

"Actually it was Shelby that found you." He told her.

"The waitress?" Kendall asked him. This was one of the last things she wanted to hear. She didn't strictly speaking dislike Shelby...she didn't actually know her so she really couldn't dislike her, but so far she only knew her as the waitress who was terrible at her job and constantly harassed her about getting onto a dig team. Chase just nodded.

"She did, and she stayed with you until the paramedics came." He informed her. "So you may want to thank her the next time you see her."

"I...I guess I probably should." She answered, realising she was going to have to swallow a lot of pride, and a lot of humble pie.

"Rest up." He told her. "I'd really rather not bring you back here if I can help it."

With that, he left the room, leaving Kendall to rest. He hated feeling helpless, she had always worked through it when she was ill, but she knew Chase had a point. It wasn't just her welfare on the line. The sooner she recovered, the sooner she could return to the team.


	9. The Dig

Over the next couple of days, things were a lot quieter in the Command Centre. That wasn't to say that they weren't trying to get things done, but with Kendall missing, progress was more than a little slow going. Even with Keeper's help, Chase had pretty much no idea what any of the readings were, and after more than a couple of half-finished weapons he had found and tried to get online to help up had ended up in pieces, or inflicting painful shocks and burns to him, he had quickly realised how out of his depth they were without Kendall around and had opted instead to just help wherever Keeper directed him.

He found the ancient alien again by the main computer bank, checking out some scans. They already had three Energems. Well...functionally they had two. While they had the Pink Energem, it had yet to bond to anyone. Having rejected Kendall, it seemed they didn't just have to find the Energems, but people that they would bond to as well. People they decided had the skills, courage and wits of their original guardians, the Dinosaurs they had bonded to all those millions of years ago.

To be honest, no one knew which would be the more difficult task. Finding the Energems was difficult, but there were at least two main clues to narrow down their search. The Energems gave off a unique radiation that could narrow the field of search. Koda and Chase had been remarkably easy to find all things considered, both having already bonded to their Energems before they were located. The issue with the Energems in Amber Beach was that there was more than one, their fields overlapped, making it seem like their search area was much larger for each Energem, and making it difficult to pinpoint any one in particular. The second clue they had was that the Energems they had found had been found in the remains of the Dinosaurs they had bonded to originally. Once they located the source of the signal, it would hopefully be obvious where they were...or at least that WOULD be the case if they weren't in one of the Paleontological hotspots in the state!

Finding who the Energems would bond to was another matter. For a while it almost seemed like it would be a simple matter of finders keepers. Neither Chase nor Koda genuinely knew why they had been chosen by the Energems, both of them simply assumed they were the first to grasp them. It was one of the reasons that their search was so desperate, hoping to find the others first. However, with Kendall being rejected by the Pink Energem, it now seemed like it wasn't that simple. The Energems obviously looked for something particular in the host they bonded with, and what that was for each of them was anyone's guess. Still, Chase figured that at least it might buy them some time. After all, if the Energems would reject anyone that wasn't suited to being their host...then Fury would have to find another way to handle them safely.

"Any luck narrowing it down?" Chase asked, already knowing the answer. The mysterious alien just shook his head.

"I am afraid the trail is no clearer than it was when you last asked." He responded. "I have some theories..."

They were interrupted as Koda shuffled into the Command Centre and plopped him down on a chair. Well...a rock that he USED as a chair most days. He had been very subdued during Kendall's absence.

"Any chance of you doing something to help today?" Chase asked him. Koda just grunted and ignored him. Chase had to admit that he wasn't really certain how Koda could help right now. He was quickly learning that Koda wasn't exactly stupid, but there was more than a little about the modern world he really didn't understand. While he figured out his Ranger tech well enough, asking him to use the computer would be as productive as asking Chase to build a spaceship out of toilet roll holders and rubber bands.

"Kendall's absence affects him more keenly than most. He has a strong emotional connection to her." Keeper explained. Chase just furrowed his brows.

"You mean he wants...you know...?"

"I do not believe it is that simple, though given the nature of your kind, I can understand you believing so." Keeper told him. "In his time, Koda's people tended to congregate into nomadic social groups, like a pack or herd, for company, for protection, and for comfort. Koda has lost all of that. Kendall is the one who has done the most to integrate him to this time period. I believe he may be seeking to find a new tribe, and it is natural he sees Kendall as the leader of that tribe."

"I guess that makes a lot of sense when you phrase it like that." Chase told him. "Um...I can't help noticing he spends a lot of time really close to her and...are you sure he's not going to try..."

"Despite the stereotype of your modern understanding, the cave men did not make a habit of dragging desirable females into their caves and forcing themselves upon them. That is a fabrication of this era designed to convince the modern man he is more evolved." Keeper told him. "In truth, they were a very affectionate people. Their language was very simple and unrefined. Much of their communication was through gesture and touch. While Koda is learning, I am sure you have noticed he still struggles with modern language."

"I guess...he can get a little close to personal space for comfort at times." Chase conceded, beginning to think about their own interactions. "I just thought he was trying to warn me off Kendall."

"It is simply his way." Keeper told him.

"Well, he can't just mope around here all day." Chase told him.

"I agree it will not help him to do so." Keeper answered. Just then, he noticed something on the screen. It was Shelby in the rear storage area of the museum, looking around. She seemed to be looking for someone...or something. All Keeper knew was that she wasn't meant to be there.

"She should not be there." He told Chase flatly. "Why don't you see she gets back to her place of work without a fuss?"

"What about...?"

"Allow me to deal with Koda." He told Chase. With that, the Black Ranger headed for the exit, leaving Keeper and Koda in the lab. Keeper approached Koda.

"I feel your turmoil my friend." He assured Koda. "What troubles you?"

"Thinking...about Kendall." He responded. "Kendall not well."

"It is only natural to miss those that are missing, but this is not like your family." Keeper said soothingly. "Kendall will return shortly, once she is well..."

"Thinking what Kendall said." Koda told him.

"Yes, she has said a great deal that has helped..."

"What she say in jeep." Koda said, clarifying what he meant. Keeper just looked to him curiously. Koda had been in the back of the jeep when they took her to the hospital the first time. They believed she had been unconscious the whole trip, but it was possible she drifted in and out, and Keeper knew that it wasn't unknown for people to make sounds, even speak while unconscious.

"What did she say?" She asked.

"Kendall say something about Dinosaur...say it may still...help." Koda told him. Keeper started to consider this. It was something he didn't really consider before. He had to admit, given his part in what happened to them, he kind of pushed the Dinosaurs from his mind, to not think about their fate. However, it seemed Kendall had possibly started to form a theory. Perhaps the remains still had more to tell them about the others. Perhaps the connection of the Energems transcended life and death.

"Perhaps it would be a good idea to retrieve it then." Keeper told him. "I have heard nothing to indicate any of the other fossil hunters have heard of it."

"Gift for Kendall?" Koda asked. Keeper just smiled.

"I am certain she would appreciate it." Keeper told him. Koda went to his cave.

"Then Koda get dressed...then get gift for Kendall." He answered.

Up in the museum storage area, Shelby was walking around, having a look around. She had gone into the back during a quiet period in the cafe. She couldn't help taking a look around at some of the stuff that was in the back.

There were some fossils, sitting waiting to be inventoried and distributed for display, and a lot of equipment for the digs. Shelby could only look and imagine herself on one of the teams. She wasn't a starry-eyed dreamer like some that read up on Dinosaurs. She knew there was a lot more to it than just going around and digging, hoping for the best. There was a lot of "boring" stuff to deal with first. The majority of the process was research, figuring out soil shifts, tidal patterns, climate shifts...all to find out where something was most likely to be found. The largest land dinosaur, the Diplodocus, was more than twice the size of a double-decker bus...but in an area the size of California, it would still be like looking for a pea in a grain silo if one didn't try to narrow it down first.

That was when other factors came in. Once a potential find had been tracked down, then they had to worry about whether or not they COULD dig there. In 65 million years, a lot of the world was now built upon. It wasn't as though they could tear down a house to dig up a dinosaur. There was also the legal side of finding out who owned the land they wanted to dig up, and hope they could be convinced to grant permission. That was before the political side of things came into play. If a find was in another country...well...not everyone was exactly too happy about people coming from other countries to randomly start digging up their land!

Shelby was almost as enthusiastic about the thought of checking soil samples and tidal patterns, but being here, she couldn't help imagining herself on a dig. She couldn't imagine anything more thrilling than the idea of being there when something was found, when years of work would culminate in bringing something out of the Earth that had been lost and hidden for millions of years being brought out of the ground, where it could be enjoyed by generations to come.

"Can I help you?" Chase asked, causing her to almost jump out of her skin and shriek. She snapped around, her heart racing.

"Jesus Chase, you scared the shit out of me!" She told him. "Where did you come from? I called out, I was looking for anyone and...I've been around this place twice and..."

"Never mind that, would you mind telling me what you're doing here?" He asked her. "I think the sign on the door is pretty clear. Museum floor staff aren't meant to be back here."

"I was looking for you and Koda." She told him, picking up a bag from the floor. "I...don't really know anyone else higher up the chain. I wanted to ask how Ms Morgan is."

"She's resting up in the hospital." He told her. "She should be getting out soon. Last time I saw her, she was going stir crazy. There are only so many Sudoku puzzles a person can do."

"I know how she feels." Shelby chuckled. "I've been in hospital a couple of times...I'm kind of accident prone..."

"Like a T-Rex was kind of big?" Chase teased her. She just glared at him.

"I haven't seen Koda around either." She told him, handing him the bag. "I thought I'd bring you both lunch."

"Well, we really appreciate it, but if you want to talk to us, you don't have to go sneaking around in restricted areas." Chase told her. "Some less reasonable people might bring that kind of thing up with HR."

"So...she's going to be OK?" Shelby asked. "I would really like to see her..."

"She doesn't get many visitors at the hospital, but she should be back here soon." Chase told her. "Thanks for what you did for her by the way."

"It's nothing any decent person wouldn't have done." Shelby answered. "When you see her, tell her I was asking after her will you?"

As she was about to leave, she stopped.

"Chase, there was something else." She told him. "I wanted to tell Ms Morgan, but you're the highest up person in the museum I know that's here."

"You think I'm high up?" He asked her. "I dig and move crates for a living."

"Chase...I think I know why the cafe is losing money." She told him. "I...I can't prove anything yet, it's just a feeling but..."

He saw Koda walking past, carrying some equipment. Chase could see among the equipment was some digging tools, and figured Koda was intending to go somewhere. He could hardly believe that Koda was going out on his own. He held up his hands.

"Well...uh...you all know what you're doing here and clearly my colleague here has urgent business in the field so...um...yeah, sort something out." He told her as he started to walk away.

"Chase!" She called after him.

"Look...you're clearly smart, just...do some digging and see if you can figure it out." He rushed out, before following Koda. He caught up to him just as Koda was loading up a crate. "Say, Koda...what's with all this?"

"Koda go back to dig site." He told him.

"You want to go back out there?" Chase asked him. "You want to go back out there, when we already HAVE the Energem, with that big ice freak running around?"

"Kendall want skeleton for museum." Koda reminded him. "When Koda's family ill, would give gifts, make them feel better. Maybe if we get gift, Kendall feel better."

Chase smiled a little.

"You know what Koda...that's not actually that bad an idea." Chase told him. "But we're going together. That ice-thing ran off the last time. There's no way he's going to try anything if both of us go."

"Koda need Chase anyway." He answered. "Koda not drive."

"I'll get the jeep." He told Koda, slapping his shoulder. "I'm sure this place will be fine without us for a couple of hours."

In a forest outside the city, Ice Age was stalking through the woods. He hadn't seen any sign of the Rangers since their earlier battle. He had gone to regroup and regain his strength, and was now ready for them. Unfortunately, though, there was no sign of them. It seemed like they had already acquired what they were after.

He was quickly beginning to think that his time was growing short. He was now considering running, when he caught sight of something up ahead. He stood stock still, unable to move as terror gripped him.

"Fury?" He asked. The other monster responded with a harsh blast, sending him flying to the ground.

"I don't see any Energems." Fury stated.

"There...there was resistance, strong warriors got to it first!" He protested.

"And yet...you are still here?" He asked.

"I was hoping they'd return, seeking more." Ice Age hurriedly told him in a panic. "I...I was caught unawares...they had powerful weapons! I had no choice..."

"Well, you had one choice, but the fact you chose to run makes me question your commitment." Fury interrupted him. "And here I was under the impression you wanted what you were offered. I am sure there will be plenty more that would jump at the chance of what you were offered. Perhaps...perhaps I should send you back."

"NO!" Ice Age screamed in terror, throwing himself at his feet, cowering in terror. "Fury, please, anything but that! I...I can't go back...please have mercy!"

"Pathetic." Fury snorted. "Mercy is not one of my virtues, but so far...I find support a little thin on the ground. Do not make the error of failing again, or you will go back...and this time you won't get out!"

With that, Fury just left his minion, cowering on the ground. He had experienced how powerful these Rangers were, it was sheer luck things hadn't ended differently, but he was far more terrified of Fury and what awaited him than he was of them. He couldn't risk running, Fury would find him eventually, and then things would only get worse. He needed to find the Rangers, and next time, the result needed to be different.

Back at the Dino Bite Cafe, Shelby was working hard at her job, despite the issues it normally brought up. She still hated the work, and as time went on, it irritated her more and more.

She now had a new thing on the list of things that irritated her. Her supervisor, who had a habit of barking instructions to her like a dog, and taking every opportunity to make snide remarks about her performance in front of customers and other museum staff alike. He also had a habit of parking himself behind the register, and letting everyone else do the work, while he spent his time hitting on the female customers that went by.

Shelby was keeping a close eye on him, despite the work. She was trying to give him as little reason to notice her as possible, even going out of her way to do things he hadn't asked her to do, but she couldn't help being irritated by the way she ended up doing everything.

It was then that she saw some food being handed to him from the back, which he gave to the latest recipient of his 'charms'. The young lady in question smiled as she handed him the cash, and what Shelby was sure was a phone number. She rolled her eyes. How could anyone see anything in that...?

Then she saw it, clear as day. The money and the phone number went straight in his pocket. It took her a moment to register...that was it! That's what was happening! He didn't ring up the sale in the register! He called for the food from the back, then took the money from the customer...but he didn't touch the register! There was no electronic record of the sale!

"Hey Shelly!" The supervisor called out as she tried to think about what she had seen.

"Shelby." She corrected him.

"Those tables won't clear themselves!" He told her. Shelby went back to work, but kept a close eye on him. She had her suspicions, but she had now seen it clearly with her own eyes. She just needed to get some idea of how serious it was before she reported what she had seen.


	10. Shelby's Shakedown

Chase and Koda arrived at the dig site, parking up the jeep as close as they could to the rock face. As they got out, they could still see signs of their battle. While time, the local wildlife and the weather had caused most of the most obvious signs to be removed, there were still things like damaged and broken trees that stood as testament to the release of their newfound energy.

They approached the rock face, finding what they were looking for. The unmistakable shape of the triceratops' beak was just poking out of the rock face. The rest of it was still buried. Chase just smiled.

"Hello again big guy." He greeted it. "I guess Keeper was right, the local amateurs must not have found this yet."

As Chase started to unload some equipment, Koda grabbed a pick off the truck and headed intently for the rock face.

"Uh Koda, perhaps..." His warning came too late as Koda let out a huge yell, running at the rock face and swinging the pick into it as hard as he could. Chunks of rock flew in all directions as he smashed into it. Chase made his way towards Koda, ducking, and moving cautiously, hoping not to get hit by flying rock, or an errant pick! "Koda...KODA!"

He managed to find the opportunity to get behind Koda and grab the handle of the Pick. Koda frowned at him as he managed to swing both Chase AND the pick in front of him, but he could see Chase holding it back.

"Koda, stop!" He told him.

"Need to break rock." Koda reminded him. "Get skeleton."

"There's not going to be much point in getting the skeleton if we smash it into a million pieces in the process!" Chase told him. "You don't want to smash our gift for Kendall do you?"

Koda thought about this for a moment, and then shook his head.

"We need to break the rock away, but we need to go carefully." He told Koda. The Blue Ranger finally released the pick axe, allowing Chase to take it away.

"Then how?" Koda asked. Chase went back to the truck, collecting a couple of tools. He presented Koda with a small hammer and chisel. The way Koda looked at the tiny tools, Chase could already tell what he was thinking.

"Take long time." Koda said a little dejectedly.

"Yeah, well...the sooner we start, the sooner we finish." Chase told him. "I'll get some more stuff. You make a start here."

As he went to get more tools, Koda turned to the fossil and sighed.

"For Kendall." He said as he started to chip away at the rock.

Back at the Dino Bite Cafe, Shelby was working away, but continued to watch her supervisor. She knew that Glen was a scumbag, but she didn't think he was a thief. She didn't claim to be a complete innocent, but after being caught sneaking a dollar out of her mom's purse when she was five, and incurring her wrath, she learned to be disgusted at the mere thought of theft.

"I worked hard for that dollar!" Her mom had yelled at her as she stared at her. "I'm not a rich person, but that's no reason to take what doesn't belong to me! I have that dollar because I EARNED it, and that is something NO ONE can take away from me! You can only give your integrity and your reputation away, and when you do...it is very hard to get them back!"

It was a hard lesson, one that had earned Shelby a long time in time-out, but one that was important to her life. They weren't a rich family, and while there were times she could understand why people sometimes helped themselves to a few odds and ends to make their situation a little better, she could never bring herself to do so. When she needed money for books, she did yard work for her neighbours. When she needed a new laptop, she had washed more cars than she could count. Now, she needed money for tuition fees, a LOT of money, thousands! She could see the logic in taking it from someone else, hell there were people that spent more on a pair of shoes than she spent on her entire wardrobe for the year! They most likely wouldn't miss a few bucks here or there, but that was something she couldn't do. No matter how much she wanted her dream, she would only take it if she earned it fair and square.

Glen wasn't a bad looking guy, as could be attested by the number of the female customers that responded to his lame come-on lines and cheeky smile. He had a decent enough build on him, he obviously worked out, and he had short-cropped blonde hair. Shelby watched as he made another "pocket transaction", slipping the cash into his pocket once the customer was walking away and he believed he wasn't being watched.

She had figured out the system. Customers generally came to the counter with their cash or credit cards already in their hands. For credit cards, he needed to use the register to take the payment, so he couldn't touch them, but there weren't many credit card sales. The majority were cash transactions, and most of them went to the desk with the money already in their hands. That was his signal it was a cash sale.

One in three, that was what she observed. Roughly every third sale, he would just call for the food from the back, and keep the customer talking, so that no one noticed he didn't ring up the sale. When the food came, he would take the money, very few bothered to ask for a few cents change, and when the customer wasn't looking, it would go into his pocket. What she couldn't figure out though was how he planned to get the money out of the building.

Museum policy meant that staff were subject to random searches when they were leaving the building. She had protested when it happened to her the first time, but quickly relented when she realised it was part of the terms of her employment. While no one would say anything about someone carrying some money in their pocket, especially in their wallets, she had to imagine it would be difficult for one of the waiting staff to explain walking around with several hundred dollars in their pocket. While he wouldn't be searched every day, he had to be taking a gamble trying to leave with that money on his person.

"Hey, Shelby!" Glen called over. "I need you to take out some trash!"

Shelby just smiled at him.

"Coming!" She replied through gritted teeth. As she got close, he threw a soda can into the trash, tying up the bag, before thrusting it into her hands.

"Don't be too long." He warned her. "You already disappeared once today. If you're more than five minutes, I'm taking it out of your break."

"I'll be right back." She assured him.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Kendall was most definitely going stir crazy, and couldn't help but continually stare at the clock. She had been under observation to ensure that she really was on the mend. She couldn't help sighing as she realised that midday had come and gone. She had promised her friends she would listen to the doctors, and had promised she would stay until she was released. While she had been told that someone would come to give her a final examination at midday before she was released, it was now clear that wasn't the case. By the time the clock hit twenty past, she just humphed in frustration and got out of the bed.

"For God's sake, where is that bloody doctor?" She complained. She went into the wardrobe, and found her clothes, beginning to get dressed to save some time. By the time she was pulling on her jacket, adjusting her hair over the collar, she heard someone coming into the room.

"That's a bit premature don't you think?" He asked. "I haven't examined you yet."

"Where the hell have you been?" She asked in response, glaring at him impatiently. He just smirked at her.

"Sorry, but a woman down the hall went into labour, and since I'm the doctor on duty for this floor, I kind of felt like I should check in on her." He said sarcastically in response. "I'm sorry if that's inconvenient, but I find these things rarely are considerate of timetables."

"Oh." Kendall replied somewhat sheepishly. It was annoying that she was here longer than she needed to be, but she guessed she couldn't begrudge him that. It wasn't as though she was the only patient he had. "Well...let's get this over with."

"Alright, sit up on the bed." He told her as he got out a torch. Kendall just stared at him. "Now would be a good time."

"I'm a foot and a half shorter than you." She reminded him. "You can do this standing up."

"Right, you're one of THOSE patients." He muttered. "Well, let me explain how this works. I'm doing this examination, and until I do it, I'm not signing your release forms. So the longer you take to do as I say, the longer you stay here. Am I making myself clear?"

Kendall clenched her jaw. This doctor was working her last nerve, but she could concede his point. She eventually got up on the bed, allowing him to shine the torch in her eyes, checking her pupils. He put it away, getting out a thermometer. "Open wide."

"This is ridiculous; you've taken my temperature dozens of times!" She snapped. "I came in for observation, and I haven't exhibited any symptoms..."

"Other than the fact you're only back here because you checked yourself out against medical advice and passed out into a bowl of soup." He reminded her.

"I feel fine! I haven't got any symptoms..."

"And I'm not putting my name on a form saying you're fine until I check you out myself, so I'm doing this examination or you don't get your discharge papers!" He warned her, holding up the thermometer. "Now, I'm going to need to take your temperature. We both know there are two ways I can do that, and I'm not above calling an orderly to hold you down while I take it the other way. It's up to you."

Kendall hated this. The doctor grated on her, but she had already had a setback by pushing too hard too early, and she knew her friends would insist on seeing her discharge papers. She opened her mouth, at which the doctor smiled.

"Good choice." He answered as he placed the thermometer in.

Back at the dig site, Chase was taking a break. The work was slow going, and they had already been there for a couple of hours. To describe archaeology as digging was more than a little bit of an oversimplification. Fossils, while they were considered rock, they were essentially solidified soil and bone or shell. They had also been in the Earth for millions of years. They were brittle, and the wrong move could easily cause irreparable damage. More than one great discovery had been all but destroyed by an over-enthusiastic amateur; even professionals with years of experience weren't immune to such errors. Digging them up was more akin to peeling an onion than digging up a rock. Once the hardest upper layers were gone, once they started to get close, they would need to gently chip and scrape away the rest, literally millimetres at a time. The last stage was generally done with brushes rather than chisels or picks. They had now taken to taking it in turns to work away at the rock.

Chase took a bottle of water from his bag, taking a long drink as he caught his breath. He knew this was going to take a long time, but he hadn't banked on HOW long. They had been here for hours, and it seemed like they were barely getting anywhere.

"Chase!" Koda called out. Chase got to his feet. "Chase, come!"

Chase ran to him, pulling out his Dino Charger. He knew that Ice Age was still out there, and while neither of them had seen him in a long time, they were both still aware that Fury was somewhere in the world, seeking the Energems too. As he got there though, he saw Koda was still alone.

"Koda, what is it?" He asked.

"Problem." Koda responded. He pointed to the Triceratops. Chase came closer, and saw the issue. While they had made impressive progress, he moved around behind where they had dug away to, and saw some vertebrae. He then walked back...a good four paces!

"That's...that's just the head?" He asked. Koda just nodded. They knew a triceratops was big, but they had no idea HOW big it was! Because of its similarities, most thought of it as being like a rhino, but the truth was that a triceratops was closer in size to an elephant!

"So big." Koda responded.

"We're going to need a seriously bigger truck." Chase agreed. "We've been at this for hours...and we're not even halfway done?"

"What do we do?" Koda asked him. Chase thought about it for a moment, before running back to the jeep. He grabbed some heavy tarpaulin, coming back to the rock face.

"Help me cover this up." He told Koda. "We need to protect it from the weather."

"But Kendall..."

"We can come back for it with better tools and a bigger truck." Chase told him. "In the meantime, we need to keep this protected."

As they finished covering it up, securing it in place, Koda looked at it unconvinced.

"People will find." He responded. He snapped around as he heard branches being moved, and found Chase dragging some foliage towards it.

"I already thought about that mate," he answered, beginning to lay the branches up against the tarp, covering it, "which is why this calls for a little camouflage."

Koda nodded in understanding and went to fetch more foliage.

After her shift, Shelby was still struggling to think of what to do about Glen. It turned her stomach to think that she spent all day getting bossed around by a guy that was ripping off the museum she just wanted to be a part of. So many people worked so hard to bring the past to life in this place for the whole world to see. The place was already losing money, and there was no guarantee that sooner or later the owner would cut it loose as an investment. This creep was putting everyone's hard work in jeopardy, all to line his own pockets.

As she left, she saw him, but instead of going to his car, he seemed to be going around to the back of the museum. He looked more than a little shifty, and he moved like he was checking he wasn't being watched. It was then that he made an unexpected move, and headed back into the museum, into the refuse area. Why would he want to go back to the museum after his shift?

Shelby made her way in, but kept out of sight, not that Glen was paying much attention. He was busy searching through bin bags in the recycling area. She furrowed her brows, wondering what he was up to, pulling out her cell phone.

He eventually seemed to find what he was looking for, and pulled out a 7-up can. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pen knife and slipped it into the can, cutting it open carefully. He pulled out a small, plastic bag. It was then that the penny dropped. The museum didn't sell drinks cans, they sold their drinks in plastic cups. She had seen Glen put a can into the trash before he got her to take it out. He opened the bag, confirming her suspicions.

Glen heard a noise, and turned to see Shelby standing before him, looking far from amused.

"What the..."

"I have to admit, for a creep, you're pretty clever." Shelby told him.

"I don't know..."

"You put that can in the trash, and since we don't sell cans, you knew that would be the one you put in." She explained. "You put the money you ripped off into the can and get it thrown out with the trash. Then, you come back afterwards and collect the can."

"Money?" He asked her. "What money?"

"Don't try and deny it, I've watched you do it!" Shelby snapped. "You're ripping this place off!"

"That's a pretty serious accusation." He told her. "And...what makes you think anyone's going to believe the waitress who can't do anything right over me?"

"Yeah, it is my word against yours." Shelby said, conceding the point. She could see that he was right about that, she knew everything, but she could prove nothing. She pulled out her cell phone. "Or at least it wouldn't if I didn't have pictures."

This was a complete lie. While Shelby did have a camera on her phone, she hadn't thought to take pictures at the time. Thinking about it now, it would have made the case for her, but she still didn't really have the proof. She tried to seem confident, playing a game of mental poker with him. She hoped that if she seemed confident, she could bluff him into believing she had the proof she needed. He just smiled.

"Well, aren't you clever?" He asked. "So, what's this now? Do you want a cut?"

"I'm going to give you a chance to turn yourself in." Shelby told him. "Maybe if you admit to it, they'll just sack you and not press charges."

"I offered to let you benefit by this, but if you think I'm going to let some little shit like you get in my way, you have another think coming!" He asked her, starting to make his way towards her. He shoved her against a dumpster. "Give me that phone!"

Meanwhile, a cab arrived outside the museum and Kendall stepped out. She paid the driver for the journey, and turned to head back into the museum. Just as she did though, she heard a loud crash.

"What the hell?" She asked. She heard some more loud noises, and a couple of screams and realised they were coming from the back entrance. She ran around, heading into the refuse area. There, she found Shelby, sitting on Glen's back, twisting his arm painfully up behind him. Glen was screaming in pain. By the looks of the area, there'd been one hell of a fight.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kendall asked. "For God's sake get off him! What the hell is going on here?"

"This lunatic jumped me!" Glen screamed. "I reprimanded her for her crappy work and she lost the plot!"

"That's not true! He attacked me!" Shelby told her. "I caught him ripping off the museum!"

"Are you going to listen to...?"

"He smuggles out the money in the trash in these!" Shelby told her, showing Kendall the drink can that had been cut open. "He rips off one in every three cash transactions. Each transaction averages twenty dollars, and he gets about four every hour."

"Ms Morgan, she's just trying to..." He was cut off as Kendall held up a hand.

"I'll hear your side of it in a moment." Kendall told him. "Go on."

"He works eight hours a day five days a week." Shelby continued. "If my maths is right, I think he's ripping off the museum by about 3200 dollars a week."

"This is all bullshit, you can't listen to her!" He told her. "She's a lousy waitress that can't take it when someone calls her on her shitty work!"

"Turn out your pockets please." Kendall told him. Glen just looked at her blankly. "Now would be a good time."

Glen did as he was told. He didn't have the money, that was scattered all over the ground, but what he did have was a pen knife. Kendall ran a finger along it.

"The blade's sticky...probably from the leftover soda." She told him. "Don't bother coming in tomorrow. We'll send your pink slip in the mail. Shelby, do you want to press charges?"

"He's got more lumps than me, I'm good." Shelby replied. Kendall just looked to him and pointed to the street. Glen just looked between the two women, before storming off. Kendall turned to Shelby.

"Are you alright?" Kendall asked her. "Do you want to see a doctor? Can I get you a cab home?"

"I've had worse, but the cab would be nice." Shelby answered.

"Then at least come in and let me clean you up. I have a first aid kit in my office." Kendall told her, guiding her inside. "It's the least I can do."


	11. New Arrival

Kendall and Shelby arrived back in the office, where Kendall indicated to Shelby to sit down. As she did, Kendall fished out a first aid kit, looking out some antiseptic wipes.

"You're not allergic to anything are you?" Kendall asked. Shelby shook her head.

"If I was, my parents would have been in serious trouble when I was a kid." She answered honestly. "My ER file looks more like the Encyclopaedia Britannica than a Medicare file."

"Well looking at what happened outside and the state of Glen when he left, I'm getting the impression you aren't exactly a manicure and heels kind of person." Kendall replied as she started getting to work cleaning up Shelby's injuries. She wasn't badly hurt, it was mostly just bumps, bruises and a few grazes, but it was clear she had gotten the better of Glen pretty quickly in the fight.

"You could say that." Shelby hissed as the disinfectant stung her painfully.

"It was pretty reckless to take him on." Kendall told her. "He's twice your size..."

"It was pretty reckless of you to go running around on rocks." Shelby retorted. Kendall just smiled a little. She had to concede that one. It wasn't like she could realistically call out anyone on reckless behaviour right now. Shelby looked a little like she regretted what she had said. She had a sharp mind, and a quick tongue...sometimes a little too quick for her own good. "So...uh...how are you by the way?"

"My head still hurts a little." Kendall admitted. "But I've been assured that I shouldn't be passing out into my lunch again anytime soon."

Kendall slowed down, thinking a lot about that. She had already been told it was Shelby that found her. She had passed out in her office, and there was no guarantee how long it would have been until anyone had any reason to call on her. She had to admit she had been more than a little short with Shelby, and she hadn't been at all nice to her, but she didn't like to think about what could have happened if Shelby hadn't found her and called an ambulance.

"I just wanted to say...thank you." Kendall told her. "You know...for what you did."

"It's nothing huge, Glen was an asshole anyway." Shelby told her. "I actually enjoyed kicking his ass."

"That's...not what I meant." Kendall told her. Shelby looked to her as Kendall steeled herself for the next part. "Look, it's not an excuse. I've had to face everything on my own pretty much my whole career. I just...I guess sometimes I forget not everyone actually wants to see me falling on my face."

"I didn't..."

"It meant a lot to me." Kendall told her. "Thank you."

"What kind of person would I have been if I'd left you?" Shelby asked, reaching for her shoulder, but thinking better of it and pulling her hand back as Kendall went back to cleaning up her wounds. They both looked up as Chase and Koda came into the room.

"Look, I'm disappointed too mate, but I'm sure there has to be something here." Chase assured him. "Kendall will have a much better idea what..."

"KENDALL!" Koda rushed out as he made his way into the room, sending Chase and Shelby flying, grabbing Kendall in a tight, bone-cracking hug. "Kendall back!"

"Yes...I am..." She wheezed. "Koda...air!"

He finally released her, but was bouncing with joy to see her back where she belonged. Chase helped Shelby up, and looked to her.

"So...um...do I have to call the hospital and ask if you escaped?" He asked. Kendall shook her head, and pulled a document out of her pocket, showing it to him.

"My discharge papers, signed, sealed and delivered as promised." She told him. "I had to get an examination by the world's most obnoxious doctor, but I did wait until he signed me off before I left."

"Well, I'm glad to know I don't have to drag you back." Chase said with a smile. "It's good to see you doc, the place hasn't been the same without you."

He then looked to Shelby, noting her dirty clothing and recent injuries.

"Whoa, what the hell happened to you?" He asked.

"Glen, the cafe supervisor's been ripping off the museum. Shelby confronted him about it." Kendall told them. "He's been costing us something like three grand a week."

"That oily little shit; he seemed like a decent guy too!" Chase admitted. "Wait...he did that to her?"

"He got the worse end of it." Shelby assured him. "Believe me."

"I can vouch for that." Kendall told him. "He'll definitely not be trying anything like that again anytime soon."

"Koda find..."

"No, its fine Koda, it's dealt with." Kendall assured him, grabbing Koda's arm. "He won't be coming back here again. He knows better. Koda just nodded in understanding and settled down, even if it did look like he would have loved to get a certain measure of personal satisfaction from hurting him. "I was going to call a cab, but Chase, seeing as you're here, can you take Shelby home? I think we kind of owe her for what she did."

"It'd be my pleasure." Chase answered, showing Shelby the door. As he followed her out, Koda looked back to Kendall.

"Kendall OK?" He asked. She just nodded.

"I'm fine Koda, I'm just glad to be back." She told him. It was only then she noticed his dirty coveralls. "What have you been doing?"

"Koda and Chase try to get Kendall present to make her feel better." Koda told her apologetically. "Went to get skeleton."

"You went back to get the Triceratops?" She asked him, her face lighting up a little. Koda just nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

"Too big." He answered. "Need to go back with bigger truck."

"Well, it was a really nice thought." Kendall said gratefully, feeling elated to think of them going to all that effort for her. She had a lot of experience in digs, and knew all too well how much work was involved. Even with the Energems supplementing their strength, asking two men to dig out a Triceratops was like asking them to push a double-decker bus from New York to Boston! Kendall had figured their improved abilities into their searches, but she knew that traditionally dig teams consisted of dozens, sometimes over a hundred people working around the clock. "Is the area secure?"

"We hide." Koda told her.

"Then we'll go back tomorrow." Kendall told him. "That was really...thank you Koda. That was a very nice thing you tried to do."

With that, Koda left her, allowing her to rest for a moment in her office. She could see the work on her desk, where it had been left since she collapsed. She still had a lot to do, but for right now, she just settled back into her chair and smiled. If felt good to be home.

On the streets of Amber Beach, the jeep weaved through traffic to a blare of horns. Shelby was sitting in the passenger seat, clinging onto the edge of her seat and the roll cage for dear life.

"You ARE aware this is a 25 zone right?" She asked him.

"You're awfully intense for a girl that kicked the shit out of a guy twice her size aren't you?" He asked playfully in response.

"Yeah, but I was in control...LOOK OUT!"

Another horn blared as Chase swerved to avoid oncoming traffic. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'd kind of like to get home alive if you don't mind." She told him. "This is a car, not that stupid little skateboard you ride around on. When people crash they tend to die."

"I guess I better not crash then." He chuckled. "By the way, thanks for what you did for Kendall."

"I'd have done the same for anyone." Shelby told him.

"Look, I know she's not the easiest person to get on with." Chase told her. "BELIEVE me I know, but she is a good boss."

"I'm just glad she's alright." Shelby admitted.

"You're really into all this dinosaur stuff aren't you?" He asked. Shelby just looked at him. "I've seen you sniffing around; you don't strike me as someone that plans on flipping burgers for long."

"If I'm honest...I want to be where Ms Morgan is." Shelby told him. "I've been into the whole deal since I was five. I've read everything, I've done all I can it's just...college is expensive."

"It's a good goal." Chase answered.

"I've read a lot of what Ken...uh...Ms Morgan's written." She told him. "I guess when I heard she'd be the boss I hoped we'd hit it off and she'd somehow take me under her wing or recommend me for a scholarship or something."

"Yeah...Kendall's not really much of the nurturing type." Chase told her.

"I noticed." Shelby grumbled. Chase could see her disappointment and felt badly. He could see Shelby was sincere in her ambition. She was also a good person. Not only had she possibly saved Kendall's life, she had also put herself in danger to save the museum from a guy that was stealing a significant amount of money from them. He had to admit he didn't know her well, but she had done a lot for them with little or no reward, and so he felt like he wanted to help her out.

"Look, I don't claim to know a ton about her, hell, I've only been on her team a little while, but I do know this much about her." He told her. "She's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder about proving herself, so if you want her you seriously, you need to earn her respect."

"So how do I do that exactly?" Shelby asked him.

"I'll let you know when I figure it out." Chase said honestly. "But...maybe taking your own job a little more seriously wouldn't hurt?"

"Chase, look out!" She yelled, causing him to swerve as a jeep was coming the other way. A jeep coming the other way spun out, flying off the road into the side of the road, sending foliage flying. Chase blared his horn loudly.

"ARSEHOLE!" He roared loudly.

"Tell you what; I'll take my job more seriously if we get home alive." Shelby stated.

"No problem." He replied, turning his attention to the road.

On the side of the road, a red jeep had skidded to a halt, having churned up a ton of earth and foliage. The driver got out, slamming the door hard and stepping onto the breakdown lane.

"ASSHOLE!" He screamed after the other car, before returning to his own vehicle to check out if there was any damage. It wasn't the first near-miss he'd had on his journey, but that didn't make it any less scary.

He could see that his jeep was in desperate need of a wash after its skid through the undergrowth, but by the looks of things, he had managed to avoid any damage. It was a good thing; he was down to his last couple of hundred bucks, certainly not enough to afford a garage.

As he had finished his examination, he noticed red and blue flashing lights. He got up slowly, making sure he kept his hands in sight. He wasn't a troublemaker, but he also wasn't exactly a stranger to law enforcement. He knew better than to give anyone any reason to think bad things about him. He turned to look at the officers, being sure to move slowly.

"Hello officer!" He greeted the cops approaching him. "How can I help you?"

"You caused quite a mess here." One of the cops responded. The guy looked around, seeing the churned up earth and nodded.

"Yeah...sorry about that, it wasn't deliberate though." He told them. "Some guy cut me up on the road, and I ended up out here. Thank God I'm in a 4X4 or I'd be..."

"Licence and registration please sir." The other officer told him. The kid moved slowly to get his wallet out of his pocket, handing it to the cops. One of them checked his paperwork.

"Hold on a minute please Mr Nevarro." He stated as he went back to the car to call it in. The other kept an eye on him.

"Have you been drinking at all tonight sir?" He asked.

"No sir, I'm underage." He answered.

"So you wouldn't mind submitting to a breathalyser test?" He asked.

"Not at all sir." The stranger replied. The cop doubted that would be terribly productive, and instead went to the jeep. He pulled back the covering on the back, inspecting all the gear in the back. He looked back to the stranger. "What's all this then?"

"I'm...kind of an archaeologist." He replied. "I do a lot of cave-diving, rock climbing that kind of thing."

The cop couldn't really say much. Amber Beach was something of a hotspot for fossil hunters. Everyone and his uncle, from university dig teams with Government grants to amateurs with hand tools went out digging up every square inch of land they wouldn't get prosecuted for digging up on a regular basis. The other came back with the wallet, throwing it back to the kid.

"It checks out. You're a long way from home Mr Nevarro." He commented. "So why are you here?"

"I was actually looking for the museum." He told them. "I was looking for stuff and...I heard that was a good place to start. Is it near here?"

"It's signposted, but it'll be closed by now." One of the cops told him. The kid sighed as he checked his watch.

"I guess I should have figured." He replied, checking his last few bucks. "Is there a decent motel near here?"

"Down there, next on the right." One of the cops told him. "Drive safely Mr Nevarro."

With that, Tyler went back to his jeep, and headed off down the road. It wasn't his first brush with law enforcement. It wasn't like there were many people his age travelling the length and breadth of the country by themselves. He most certainly WAS a long way from home. He had left home straight after graduation, and so far his search had been mostly fruitless, but had led him here.

He pulled into the parking lot of what could be laughingly called a motel, which advertised rooms for twenty dollars a night. All things considered he had stayed in worse. The blinking lights, and the dilapidated decor gave the impression of a place that was run more for people looking for somewhere for a couple of hours or who couldn't afford anywhere else than a serious business. Pulling in, he went to the desk.

He could find no one at the desk. Indeed, given how filthy it was, he wasn't sure anyone had EVER been at the desk. He had seen places like this before, but again he had stayed worse places. He rang the bell.

"Who is it?" A gruff voice shouted.

"I'd like a room." Tyler told him.

He saw someone skating into view on a wheelie chair, clearly watching something far more interesting on a television in the back. He stroked his chin, considering the kid.

"Twenty dollars with a further twenty security deposit." He grunted. "Put it in the box and sign the book, the keys are behind the desk."

Tyler put his money in the box, before coming around and picking a key up off the board as the man went back to...whatever it was he was doing.

"Listen, I'm here to go to Amber Beach Museum." He told him. "Can you tell me...?"

"What do I look like, tourist information?" The old man interrupted him. "Good night and thanks for your business."

Tyler just took his key and went to find his room.


	12. Stowaway

The next day, Tyler pulled up into the parking lot of the museum, finding it pretty busy all things considered. It was a school holiday, and despite his initial thoughts, it seemed the town really was quite enthusiastic about dinosaurs. As he made his way towards the museum, he saw a jeep in the parking lot...one that was more than a little familiar.

"That's the asshole that ran me off the road." He muttered to himself. He had no idea who the guy was, but since he'd ended up in a ditch as a result, he didn't really care. Tyler took a quick look around, ensuring he wasn't being watched, before taking his key out of his pocket, and dragging it down the side panel, scratching up the paint. It was childish, he knew that, but damn it felt good! Putting the offending key away, he headed into the museum.

Things were pretty frantic around the museum, not least because now, the cafe didn't have a supervisor. For all his faults, namely the fact he was ripping the place off to the tune of around three thousand dollars a week, it turned out that Glen actually DID do a lot of work that they took for granted.

Kendall had been forced to make a few last-minute executive decisions and move some staff around to keep things ticking over. She had foregone having someone on the door altogether, she had shifted some of the floor staff to the cafe, and she had even shifted one of the archaeologists into leading the tours. These decisions were far from popular, but it was clear they had to be made in order for the museum to even open that day.

Tyler took the opportunity to scam a free tour, slipping onto the tail end of a tour group that was already underway. It was clear the place was understaffed, and the woman leading the tour group was so clearly bored with her current job that she wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to how many people were in her group and he was only too happy to take the opportunity to save some of his last couple of hundred bucks by scamming a tour. The woman leading them around the museum clearly didn't notice him joining the tour group, and he was only too happy to keep it that way.

"The planet was teeming with life, but then asteroids hit the Earth, and the dinosaurs went extinct." The tour guide told her group. Tyler just smirked. He knew that, hell, he figured his knowledge would probably rival that of anyone on the museum staff. He wasn't here for a prehistory lesson, he wanted some specific information, and he had a feeling this was the best place to start. "That was 65 million years ago. Now, just follow me over here..."

Tyler tuned out at this point. He had seen something about an exhibit that interested him. It wasn't the dinosaur on display, it was the key pad that displayed some caves that he recognised.

Tyler didn't have much to go on in his search. He only had the journals he had found in his father's effects after he disappeared. His father had been a renowned archaeologist, one that had a reputation in the field. He was one of the few that was close to Indiana Jones in his field, preferring the field far more than stuffy old museums or musty, stale libraries. As he grew up, it wasn't uncommon for Tyler not to see his dad for weeks, even months at a time as he ran off on some adventure or other. To young Tyler, it made his dad a figure of mystery and wonder.

That wasn't how he was seen in the field though, in the field he was something of a figure of myth, spoken of as both a legend and a joke in equal measures. In the last few years of his career especially, his theories and claims citing monsters that came to Earth from beyond long before the time of man had been taken with more than a little disdain by some, and many had started to question his sanity. Over the last few months Tyler could remember him, he spent longer and longer in his office or running off to the distant corners of the world, rarely speaking to anyone. That didn't help claims that he had lost his mind at all, even Tyler's mom had no idea what he was thinking when he left home for the last time. That was ten years ago. When Tyler was only eight years old, his dad had gone on one of his adventures...but unlike every other time, this time he never came back.

There was one thing about his dad's questionable sanity that did help his search though. His father had always kept meticulous records. The rantings of a schizophrenic many would call it, but he always wrote everything down and documented every one of his findings in his many journals. Maps, sketches, and seemingly infinite words across more pages than many would think any man should be able to write were all Tyler had to go on in his long search for his father that had taken him across most of the nation. It didn't help the theory that his dad had simply lost his mind, considering the time he had committed to writing his journals, but it did mean that Tyler had extensive records of where his father had been.

"Huh...those are volcanic caves." Tyler commented as he checked one of his dad's journals against the image on the touch pad. "They seemed to match one of the sketches in his dad's journal completely. Among his many eccentricities, especially in the last couple of years before his disappearance, Tyler's dad didn't seem to believe in things like map co-ordinates. He was, however, a gifted sketch artist and regularly drew some of the places that interested him for one reason or another. If he had drawn this cave, clearly he felt for some reason it was important. Tyler noted down the information on the touch pad. "That's not far, probably worth a look."

He saw a guy walking past, pushing a trolley and caught his sleeve to attract his attention.

"Excuse me, do you work here?" He asked. Chase pulled off his headphones as he saw the stranger before him.

"Sure do mate." He replied.

"I'm looking for this cave." Tyler told him, handing him the journal, showing him a hand-drawn map his dad had made before he disappeared. "My dad did some exploring here ten years ago."

"Let's see...oh THAT cave." He stated. It wasn't as though there were any shortage of people in Amber Beach that went exploring in the woods. He was more than a little used to such questions by now. He pointed to the exhibit behind Tyler. "That fossil was found there. It's about...fifteen miles north of the city."

"Awesome, thanks." Tyler replied.

"No worries." Chase answered as he pushed his trolley out of the museum, leaving Tyler taking a selfie with the dinosaur. As he got outside, ready to load up the truck, he noticed the jeep a little way off. "Son of a BITCH!"

"What?" Koda asked as he appeared from the back of the truck. Chase gestured to the jeep.

"Some arsehole's keyed the jeep!" He answered. "If I find the little shit that did this, I'm going to break him in half!"

In the Dino Bite cafe, the staff were realising exactly how much Glen actually did. Despite his sticky fingers, it seemed he was genuinely good at his job. The cafe was busy, and the staff were running around in abject chaos. Kendall was sitting at a table, taking some soup for lunch while she waited for Koda and Chase to prepare the truck for the dig, but it didn't escape her that the cafe staff now had no direction and seemed to be...well...struggling was the diplomatic way to put it.

This didn't help Shelby at all. She had taken Chase's words to heart, and had come into work with every intention of showing Kendall she could be relied on to be a serious and competent worker. Unfortunately...her intent and the practice were two different things. She still couldn't for the life of her figure out the table numbering system, and had no idea where the tray she was carrying was meant to go. That was when exactly the WORST thing she could imagine happened. She accidentally bumped into Kendall, and a roll fell off her tray into Kendall's soup, splashing her.

"Ooops, sorry!" She offered. Kendall just sighed.

"Shelby." Shelby could almost imagine Kendall rolling her eyes, and she could imagine what she was thinking. It was irritating to think that she kept fumbling around Kendall, a woman she both admired and disliked with a passion in equal measure when she was trying to prove herself.

Kendall started to clean herself off when Chase came to her table.

"We're nearly all set." He told her. "The truck's almost ready to go."

"I should be finished here soon." Kendall sighed. "The soup isn't much to write home about anyway."

"So...ready to go in ten minutes?" Chase asked.

"I'll be ready by then." Kendall told him. "Finish loading up. I'll be out soon."

As she looked back down to her soup, she found her appetite fading. The roll was soaking up most of it anyway, and she really couldn't bring herself to get another bowl. It was then that a cry went up from one of the other tables.

"Hey, where the hell is our order?" An irate customer roared. "We ordered twenty minutes ago!"

"Uh...we haven't ordered yet." Another table called over. "By any chance did you order the T-rex ribs, the pterodactyl sandwich and the Bronto burger?"

Kendall just shook her head and let out a deep sigh as the tables exchanged orders.

"If I didn't have a headache before, I sure as hell do now." She muttered. "Thanks for the plumb job Anton."

Tyler arrived in the woods outside of town, parking his jeep a little off the road. He didn't really know the area that well, but he knew enough about rock formations to have a good idea where to start looking. The caves he was looking for were formed from volcanic rock, and the nearest active volcano was within sight. While it was POSSIBLE for volcanoes to throw rock over many miles, most of the flow from an eruption tended to only go a relatively short distance.

Getting out of the jeep, he hefted a backpack high onto his back, looking around for anything he recognised from his dad's journal. He could recognise a surprising amount of the area, given his dad's obsession with sketching and writing everything. He started to make his way through the woods in search of the cave. He found it remarkably quickly all things considered. He had to think that perhaps those that questioned his dad's sanity in his final days had to have a point given how detailed his sketches were thinking of how long it had to take him to make those records. Tyler took a helmet out of his bag, turning on the torch attached to it.

"OK dad." He stated. "Let's see what was so special about these caves."

As Kendall made her way out to the truck, she could see Shelby hanging around near the truck. She was all too aware of the fact that she wanted to be on the dig team, but even without the covert nature of their ranger duties, something about Shelby just...rubbed her the wrong way.

"Ms Morgan!" She called out. Kendall sighed.

"I think your party in booth 4 is missing a dinner roll." She stated sarcastically. She knew Shelby wanted to get onto her dig team, but even if she didn't have to keep what they were really doing under wraps, she had a hard time thinking how the girl who couldn't figure out something as simple as table numbers could be an asset. She didn't even need to look at her to know what Shelby was about to ask. "And no, you can't come, museum policy."

"But...you run the museum." Shelby answered. "So...technically you MAKE the policy."

Kendall couldn't be bothered to argue the point with her and was about to get into the truck. Shelby could see that she was about to go, and threw a Hail Mary. If she couldn't just ask her...she was going to try and show her what she knew.

"Triceratops' head grew to be seven feet long." She told her. "It was distinctive for its three horns, only two of which were really bone, one of which was just ligament."

Kendall rolled her eyes. Shelby was really going to throw dinosaur trivia at her to show she was qualified? Sure, that was impressive, she had access to the internet. Who the hell didn't?

"Give me a shot Ms Morgan, please?" Shelby asked. Kendall knew she still kind of owed her for finding her and calling the ambulance, but she still knew that even if Shelby didn't irritate the hell out of her, she had to keep the Ranger stuff under wraps. "I know more about Dinosaurs than anyone on your team!"

"For your information, Chase and Koda are highly trained museum personnel!" Kendall replied, hoping to dissuade Shelby by inferring they had qualifications she didn't. Unfortunately, as they turned around...Chase and Koda really weren't making her case for her. Chase was trying and failing to spin his skateboard on his head, while Koda was licking his fingers, his face covered in...what Kendall REALLY hoped was just barbecue sauce.

"They hide it well." Shelby stated sarcastically. Kendall just sighed and could only agree.

"You have no idea." She responded. "You DO have a job to get back to right?"

"Ms Morgan..."

"We're understaffed as it is." She reminded Shelby as she got into the truck. "Just...do that alright?"

Shelby was through taking no for an answer though. She bit her tongue while Kendall was in front of her, but as soon as she saw the truck pulling away, she ran and leapt into the back, secreting herself under the tarpaulin. If they weren't going to invite her along to the dig, she just had to invite herself.


	13. Dangerous Search

Tyler went deeper and deeper into the caves, looking around for any signs of his father. The caves grew hotter as he went deeper, but that was a good sign. His father's journals had spoken of these caves as being volcanic, which meant somewhere along the lines, they led into the planet's magma core. Lava was the technical term for magma when it flowed above the ground in a volcanic eruption. The fact the caves still led into the magma core meant that the volcano was still active, but that didn't necessarily make it much more dangerous than normal pot-holing. Active volcanoes sometimes didn't erupt for hundreds, thousands...even millions of years! The chances of getting caught in a lava flow were pretty minimal.

This was far from the first time Tyler had gone cave-diving in his search for his father, and even then it was far from the most dangerous thing he had done in search of clues as to what happened to him. He stumbled a little as he accidentally stepped on the edge of a ledge, grabbing the cave wall to steady himself.

As he peered down, he could see a deep, red glow. He smiled a little as the heat wave hit him and he could see the streams of magma running through channels in the rock a considerable way down below.

"This would be a bad time to miss a step." He said as he started to bundle some rope and a harness out of his backpack. He started to strap himself tightly into the harness and secured his line, before looking down into the dark abyss beneath him.

"Alright, here goes nothing." Tyler said as he leaned backwards over the edge, letting his line take the strain, before beginning his descent.

Meanwhile, on the road from the museum, Shelby had to steady herself in the back of the truck, clinging on for dear life. She was starting to doubt how good an idea this really was. At least one of the things she hadn't really factored in was Chase's manic driving. Up in the front, Koda and Kendall at least had the luxury of seatbelts. In the back, she had to hold onto the crates that had been tied down as best she could, but she was still getting rattled around badly in the back.

What was worse was she didn't really know what she was going to say when they got to the dig site. She had stowed away on the truck, without really thinking too much about what the next step was. She hadn't really planned ahead, something of a bad habit for her. Now she thought about it, she had not only stowed away on a dig, she hadn't just disobeyed a direct order from her boss, she had abandoned the job she was MEANT to be doing by leaving the cafe in the middle of a shift! All things considered, she was starting to wonder if this was the worst idea she'd ever had...and she had to admit having some stinkers in the past.

The worst part was, she could hear voices up ahead, and could imagine they were talking about what they would find in their dig, but because of the roar of the engines, she couldn't hear what was being said. She could only imagine how amazing it would be to think about the treasure they were bringing back, her favourite dinosaur, the triceratops!

Meanwhile, in the front, Chase turned to Kendall in the passenger seat, looking like he wanted to say something. Kendall just sighed.

"OK, what is it?" She asked.

"Well...don't you think you were a little rough on Shelby?" He asked. "I mean, I know we're not going to bring her in on...you know...everything...but she definitely seems sincere about wanting to help."

"I'm sure she is, but what exactly do you expect me to do?" Kendall asked him. "Look away when you and Koda start morphing and calling Zords?"

"What Zord?" Koda asked. Chase looked to him.

"You'll find out soon enough mate." Chase told him with a smile. He looked back to Kendall. "I guess not, but...don't you think the way you dismissed her might have been a little bit...you know...?"

"I don't know...something about her just really rubs me the wrong way." Kendall told him. "It's like...she thinks because she's read a few online journals she's qualified to do my job. Does she think I spent all that time in university for nothing?"

"I don't know...but would it really hurt to let her do some of the background stuff for our digs?" He asked her. "You know, arrange equipment, prepare maps that kind of thing?"

"I don't know...I'll think about it." Kendall told him. Chase knew that this most likely meant know, but he knew better than to continue arguing with her right now. She clearly wasn't in the mood to talk about this, not when there were other things to concentrate on.

"So tell me, why exactly did we bring...you know...?" Chase asked. Kendall just looked to him.

"The gems seem to react more strongly in close proximity to others." She explained. "Since both you and Koda will be using yours...I figured having the only one not bound to anyone nearby might help strengthen the readings."

"I guess that's why you're the brains of the outfit." Chase responded with a smile. "But...what do you mean we'll be using ours?"

"Since there are only three of us digging, I figure a little power boost might just be in order. I think if you morph, it should really help speed things along." She replied. Koda and Chase just stared at each other in disbelief. "Now aren't you glad we'll be the only ones out here?"

"Isn't there like...some rule about not using our powers for personal gain?" Chase asked.

"Well, since it's to find an Energem that will help humanity as a WHOLE, it's technically not personal gain." Kendall told them. "Besides...that wasn't really one of OUR rules...it's just something that's rolled on from previous teams."

"I think we've been a bad influence on her mate." Chase stated, teasing Kendall about this rather blatant bending of the rules.

"Who are you and what have you done with Kendall?" Koda asked her. Kendall just looked to him, and then back to Chase.

"You have GOT to stop educating him with nineties television." She stated.

Back at the cave, Tyler had gone down as deep as he dared, so deep the heat was almost becoming too intense to bear. If he went much further, he would be in serious danger of the heat getting too much and being unable to continue.

"So you were down here." Tyler concluded. "What were you looking for?"

He looked around, and found something of interest. It looked on first inspection like a rock, but it was slightly curved and sharp. As he picked it up, it became clear what it was.

"Is that...a tooth?" He asked. Just then, he saw a dark shape moving in the background. He heard a growl, a moment before a couple of glowing, yellow eyes fixed on him. Tyler couldn't imagine what could survive down here for long, but he sure as hell didn't plan on finding out. As it made a move towards him, he ran as fast as he could.

He managed to quickly find a concealed corner, and grabbed the first solid object he could get to hand, before covering his lamp. The creature seemed to be thrown off, and ran straight past him. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to hunt by scent or he was sure it would have found him. Whatever it was, he was determined to be long gone by the time it came back for a more thorough search.

He started to look around, hoping to find anything of note before he looked for a way out, and quickly found something of interest. He bent down, sifting through some rubble, and found something that had no earthly business being there. It was an E-tool, that was to say it was a small, portable shovel that was often in the kit-bag of Marine Commandoes as a survival tool...he knew it, because his father had carried one just like it.

Dr Nevarro had gone the length and breadth of the world in his search for proof of his theories...and sometimes that included places he was not meant to go. He had once ended up deep in a hostile country, and only got away from the locals by virtue of the good fortune to run across a marine unit on manoeuvres. They had managed to get him out of some serious trouble, and on the way home, he had befriended some of them. Like Tyler, his dad was a likeable guy, and so it was no surprise that by the time they had helped him get home, he'd ended up with a kit bag full of equipment to help him in his future adventures. Tyler sincerely doubted there were many that were reckless enough to come down this far, and he couldn't imagine any earthly reason a marine would be down here.

As he searched further, he found something he knew his father would have been interested in finding. It was a T-Rex fossil that was partially protruding from the rock face. He could recognise some aging tool marks, which indicated that his father had made at least some effort to dig it out. His father had been obsessive about his finds. He could only imagine something serious had to happen to scare him off to the point he would abandon his work half done...and his equipment to boot. The E-tool was a reasonable distance from the fossil. It looked like his dad had thrown it away before he ran off.

It wasn't like this was the only T-Rex fossil in the world. There were far more he could have found, certainly ones that would be far easier and less dangerous to retrieve. What made this one so special?

It was then that Tyler noticed something that was definitely odd. Some of the tool marks appeared to be on the fossil itself! It was like his father had been digging into the fossil! He couldn't imagine what would possess him to damage something so valuable, especially after going to so much effort to find it. It seemed completely unlike him. It was then that he saw something that reflected the light of his lamp, wedged inside the fossil. It seemed that this was what his dad was looking for.

"What is that?" Tyler asked, pulling out a pocket knife and starting to try and pry it loose, hoping its finer blade would be more help than the E-Tool. It fell out into his hand. "Some kind of crystal."

As he stared at it, he could almost swear it was glowing, but he wrote it off as a combination of low light, and his lamp refracting through its surface. He had no idea what it was, all he knew was that his dad had gone to a lot of effort and put himself in a lot of danger to try and find it...albeit apparently to fail.

He looked around for signs the creature in the shadows was coming back, before heading down a passageway, searching for another way out. He just got the feeling that he had found everything of value here.

Back up on the surface, the jeep came to a halt, meaning that they had obviously arrived at the dig site. Shelby could only wait on inevitably being found in the back of the truck. She could hardly believe Koda hadn't noticed her as he unloaded the first of the crates.

"It looks like we might have gotten here just in time." Chase commented. "That jeep we passed a couple of miles back was pretty close, and it didn't look like it was packed for a picnic."

"All the more reason to get this done before anyone else finds this and ruins everything." Kendall agreed. "They're already worryingly close. Help me get this thing uncovered."

As they started to uncover the fossil, a cloaked figure was watching from a little way off. Ice Age had already tangled with these Rangers once, and he knew the power they had at their disposal. While Fury had already threatened him with...going back...the thought of it terrified him more than any other fate that anyone could visit upon him. However, he had no real desire to risk a second round with the Rangers...not when he didn't have to.

Fury's instructions had been pretty specific. He wanted him to bring him the Energem. He said nothing about destroying the Rangers. As he watched them starting to get set up, checking out the fossil for how they were going to continue with the dig, he looked to the truck. He could already sense the energy. They had brought it with them! Best of all, they were focusing all of their attention on the fossil. He took the opportunity that presented itself, heading for the truck as quietly as he could. Fury just wanted the Energem, once he got that, Ice Age would have satisfied their bargain. Why bother risking himself against the Rangers if he could just take it from right under their noses?

Shelby was sitting in the back of the truck, hiding as much as she could among the crates. Koda had already started unloading, and so she knew that pretty soon she was going to have to explain herself. She started to rehearse what she wanted to say to explain the situation.

"Surprise! Here I am! Now you HAVE to give me a job on the dig." She tried out. She smiled as she considered it. "Yup, that'll do it!"

She was startled as some crates suddenly moved, almost causing her to fall out of the truck. She managed to secret herself under the tarp. She could hardly believe what she saw. A figure completely concealed in a thick, black cloak was looking around the crates at the back. Shelby sincerely doubted he was there to help; it wasn't as though there were likely to be many opportunist thieves interested in archaeological equipment so far from the city.

As he looked through some crates, he seemed to quickly find what he was looking for. He opened the crate to confirm the contents...Shelby could almost swear she saw some kind of pink glow coming from it.

Ice Age just nodded and laughed as he found the Energem. What was best was that the Rangers had already put it in a crate, which would hopefully allow him to carry it safely. He had seen what happened to Kendall when she tried to handle it, the last thing he wanted to risk was the same happening to him. Again, Fury had only asked him to BRING the Energem. What did Ice Age care if he didn't know he probably wouldn't be able to handle it once he got it?

Shelby watched as the stranger picked up the crate and ran off with it. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

"He's stealing it." She stated in disgust, starting to climb out of the truck. She looked over to where the others were working.

"Hey, guys! He's getting away!" She called out. The others didn't hear her though. "Hey guys! He's getting away!"

She realised that they couldn't hear her. They were too busy with what they were doing. She weighed up her options, before running off after the thief.

"That'll be TWICE I've stopped someone stealing from you." Shelby stated as she ran after the cloaked figure. "If that doesn't get me a job on the dig team, nothing will!"

Ice Age stopped running after a little while, stopping by a small rock. He couldn't believe it, he'd actually done it! He'd actually gotten away with stealing from the Rangers right under their noses! They had been so busy on their work with the fossil; they had completely missed him taking the Energem they already had!

He set down the crate, such an unassuming thing, and marvelled at it. It was more than just a crate, he knew that, but he didn't really care. For him, it was his ticket to freedom.

"Yes, I finally have it!" He exclaimed. This was it, all he had to do was bring it to Fury, and he would never have to see or deal with him again, and that was a VERY appealing thought. He heard something behind him. He had a horrible thought. Had he really gotten away? Had the Rangers seen him? He snapped around. "What was that?"

He looked around and could see no sign of them. Given the last time, he doubted the Rangers would bother sneaking around. If he couldn't see them running at him all blasters blazing, he had a feeling he was just being paranoid. Given where he'd been...that was a distinct probability.

"I must be hearing things." He surmised, almost laughing. He was so close now, that it was easy to see why he thought it was too good to be true.

He turned around, in time to see Shelby picking up the crate! She had been the one sneaking around! He had no idea who she was or where she came from, all he cared about was that she was about to take his prize, his ticket out of Hell from his very fingertips!

"Hey, give that back!" He roared as she ran off. Shelby ran as fast as she could. She saw some explosions...whoever this guy was; he was firing...SOMETHING at him. She hadn't stopped to think that he might be armed! As she was running, her heart racing as she tried to get away, she couldn't help but think that of all the bad ideas she'd ever had, this had the very real danger of being the worst...and her last!


	14. Search for New Powers

Kendall shielded her eyes with her hand as dust and rock flew around. Just as she'd predicted, being morphed meant the guys were making startlingly quick work of digging out the triceratops. Normally, an excavation like that could take weeks, possibly even months. It wasn't that decent tools weren't available; it was that fossils were by their nature alarmingly brittle. If archaeology was a simple case of taking a hammer and chisel and battering seven shades out of every rock in sight, things would be a hell of a lot simpler, but the closer they got to the actual find, namely the bones and the fossils, the more slowly and carefully they had to go. It wasn't unknown for the final stages of most digs to be performed with tea-spoons and fine bristled brushes!

What Kendall had banked on though was that the Ranger suits had the benefit of strength, but at the same time the feeling of bare hands. The guys were able to dig out in minutes what would take a conventional dig team maybe a week to do without too much risk of causing irreparable damage. It wasn't like they didn't have to be careful as they got close to the bone, but they got there a hell of a lot quicker than they thought.

"Stop STOP!" She called out, pulling off her ear defenders as they had exposed nearly three quarters of the skeleton. Koda and Chase took this as an opportunity to take a break. Even with the suits, they were grateful for a breather. Kendall stepped closer with her scanner, and checked it out. "There are definitely strong readings around here."

"That's nice to know." Chase said as he looked around. "I'd hate to think all this was for nothing."

"I think...I think I might be right about bringing the Pink Energem with us." Kendall told them. "The readings have almost doubled! If there is anything in the area, it seems to be getting stronger!"

"Well, that's nice and all, but I'd just as soon get home." Chase told her. "Can we get back to work?"

"Be my guest." She told them, gesturing them back to it. The guys started to work on the rock again, but as she was about to put on her ear defenders, Kendall snapped around. She didn't know what, but she was sure she heard something. Seeing nothing of note, she just shrugged, putting her ear defenders and safety glasses back on as the rock started to fly again.

At that moment, Tyler finally got back to the surface, having found another tunnel out of the cave. He took a deep breath of clean, fresh air and felt good about his close escape. More than that, he had found one of the most significant finds in his long search for his father. He had found something he knew belonged to him, his dad's old E-tool. If he was honest, he didn't really know why exactly his dad had been in that cave, all he knew was that he had been there...and that it had something to do with the mysterious red crystal he had found.

He pulled it out and inspected it more closely in the decent light, and could almost swear it was glowing. He knew what a lot of people had said about his father in the final months and years before he disappeared. While at one time he had been considered brilliant, when he started broadcasting wild theories about creatures from space, powerful crystals and even that the asteroids that had wiped out the ancient species had not fallen by any mere accident, a lot had started to deride him as losing his grip on reality. Some called him a lunatic right to his face, many more did so behind his back to the point that his once great reputation became something of a joke. Although Tyler didn't really care too much if people thought his dad had simply lost his sanity, and just wanted to find him and bring him home safely, a part of him wished that when he did find him, somehow they could restore his name and reputation and prove he was more than just a fanatical researcher who got so lost in his work that he lost touch with reality.

He heard a roar, a lot like the one in the cave, but there was no real echo out in the open. He had to assume that whatever had been chasing him had also found a way out of the cave. As soon as he heard some explosions, he definitely knew that he didn't want to hang around. Quickly getting his bearings and figuring out which way his jeep was, he started to hop down the rock face.

Then he heard a scream. He didn't know anyone else was out here, but since it came from the same direction as the roar, he knew that someone was in trouble. He knew his jeep wasn't far, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave someone to...whatever that thing in the cave was. It was clear she was in trouble. Steeling himself, he started hopping across the rocks towards the commotion.

At that point, Shelby was running for her life! She had snatched the crate back from Ice Age, not even knowing what it was, and started running for all she was worth. She knew he was shooting at her, and while it didn't sound like anything she had ever heard, she didn't intend to find out exactly what he was firing at her.

As she risked a glance backward, she didn't notice a root protruding up from the ground. Before she knew it, she had planted face-first right into the ground. She spat out a mouthful of pine-needles and dirt.

"You had one job Shelby, run over open ground." She muttered. "Good work!"

"No one steals from me!" Ice Age growled as he blasted the ground near her, throwing Shelby several feet, where she landed hard, completely dazed. Seeing she was not going anywhere fast, Ice Age took the opportunity and approached the crate. As he leaned down to get it though, a figure blurred past, snatching it up, kicking Ice Age in the head and sending him flying.

"Think again!" Tyler declared as he swung past on a rope, kicking Ice Age across the face as he did so, stunning the creature. When he had arrived on a ledge a little way off, he had thought of going to Shelby, but seeing she was already prone, he figured his best shot of saving her was getting the creature pursuing her to divert its attention to him. Whatever it was, it seemed to be after the crate. When he landed, Tyler could see that the creature was dazed, and figured now was the time to take advantage and check on the girl before it got back up!

Shelby looked up, her vision starting to clear up. It was a little fussy, but she could see a hand, one that took hers...in the midst of the haze, she saw a smiling, handsome face.

"Are you OK?" Tyler asked. Shelby didn't answer. She was dazed...words...what was it with words? Why was it so hard to find words? She just wanted to say she was alright. "I'm Tyler...Tyler Nevarro and you are...?"

Words...why was it so damned hard to find words? Tyler saw her name badge.

"Shelby...Triceratops...catchy name!" He responded.

"Where did you come from?" She finally managed to say. 'Really?' she thought. 'Of all the questions and all the stuff going on...that's your question? Good job Shelby!'

"Oh, you know...I was in the neighbourhood." He joked.

"There IS no neighbourhood!" She told him.

"I...uh...believe this is yours." He said, handing her back the crate. It was then that they were interrupted by a roar. Ice Age got back up, throwing off his cloak.

"I don't have to hide!" He growled. "Time to destroy you!"

"What is that thing?" Shelby asked.

"Don't know...met him in a cave." Tyler rushed out, adopting a guard. "But he sure wants that box!"

A short way off, the dig was over, and the guys were starting to pack up. Kendall was taking careful notes of what everything was as they brought it to the truck and loaded up. Most skeletons were found in pieces anyway, and that if anything made it easier to pack up. Of course, they needed to know where everything went when they unpacked it and started to try and rebuild it.

"Check this out...the C8 and C9 vertabrae have significant fractures, as do the adjoining left ribs." She commented. "I'd say the cause of death was a heavy blow to the side, likely rupturing the lung...possibly the heart too."

"You're a forensic now?" Chase asked.

"Take back!" Koda warned him. "Kendal wear glasses!"

"He said forensic Koda, not four eyes." Kendal explained, realising Koda had misunderstood. "I'll explain later."

She turned to Chase.

"There is a certain element of forensics involved in palaeontology. Figuring out how these creatures died can tell us a lot about how they lived." She explained.

"So...what...it got into a tussle with another Triceratops?" He asked. "Maybe he got a little too friendly with another Triceratops' girlfriend."

"Not a bad theory except for two things." She sighed. "Firstly, there are no indications on the other ribs suggesting a puncture from another Triceratops' horns. Whatever hit it was a blunt force trauma, not a puncture wound as I'd expect."

"So what's the second reason?" He asked.

"It's a girl." She told him. Just then, they heard a roar. Chase just froze.

"What the hell was that?" He asked.

"Probably just a bear." Kendall assured him. "Still, we should probably get packed up and go."

"Wait...a bear?" He asked. "And...we aren't just..."

"You should have seen sabre-tooth tiger." Koda said matter-of-factly. "Much scarier."

"Well, the sooner we finish the sooner we get out of here I guess." Chase replied with a shrug.

Back at the clearing, Shelby and Tyler found themselves taking shelter behind a tree as Ice Age took pot shots at them. It seemed unlikely he was going anywhere, or that they could outrun them. Shelby saw Tyler rummaging around in his backpack. Her hopes were lifting, perhaps he had a weapon! A pistol maybe...perhaps even a shotgun! Whatever it was, he seemed to be planning on taking on the monster, so it had to be formidable!

He rounded the tree, confronting Ice Age and pulled out...a banana! By the look on his face, Shelby could tell that wasn't what he was looking for at all! He reached in, trying again...only to pull out a spare set of underwear!

'Well...at least he's prepared on that account." Shelby thought, seeing him laugh a little nervously as he threw them away. All things considered she thought they both might need fresh underwear soon at least.

Tyler reached in one more time, this time pulling out the E-tool. Shelby's face fell. That was it? No shotgun? No pistol? Hell, right now she'd settle for a decent baseball bat!

"You're going to what? Dig us an escape tunnel?" She asked him. Tyler had to admit that as far as plans went, even for him; this one wasn't especially well thought out. Ice Age fired a blast at him, at which he held it up in panic. The blast rebounded off it, hitting a tree a way off.

Looking at the E-tool, Tyler figured that maybe things weren't as bleak as he first thought! He remembered his dad telling him that the unit that gave it to him told him that another reason marines carried them was that in a pinch, they were pretty decent weapons! They were made of strong, solid steel, making them pretty effective bludgeons, and the head had edges that were half decent blades when push came to shove. He adopted a guard, hoping Ice Age took his confidence as meaning he knew what he was doing. That hope quickly faded as he opened fire again!

Tyler blocked another couple of blasts, but the last one he managed to bat back at the monster. Ice Age was sent flying by his own blast. Tyler let out a whoop of joy.

Unfortunately as he brought it back around, he saw that the head had been completely destroyed. He guessed it was pretty old and had seen better days...it just hadn't lived up to the abuse. As Ice Age got back up, Shelby got to his side.

"Uh...your turn for an idea!" Tyler said nervously. Stepping forward, Shelby held up the crate, thinking of the first thing she could.

"Fire at us, and you might destroy your precious...thing." Shelby told the monster, hoping that it would see reason. It was obviously looking for whatever was in the crate; the whole battle would be pointless if he destroyed it in the process.

"You know what's in the crate?" Tyler asked.

"I have no idea." She replied honestly.

"What I want...will survive." He assured her. "YOU WON'T!"

The crate took the brunt of the blast, likely saving their lives, but they both hit the ground hard. Both the Red and Pink Energems landed a little way from them. Seeing them, Ice Age was elated! He was only charged with bringing one Energem, that was the deal for his freedom. If he brought TWO...he could only begin to hope what Fury would offer!

"TWO Energems!" He stated. "This is even better than I thought!"

Shelby and Tyler both scrambled to grab them, just as Ice Age unleashed the full extent of his power, freezing both of them solid.

Back at the truck, Koda and Chase were still packing up equipment when Koda felt a sudden shiver. Chase just looked to him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Don't know...it like...past repeat." He stated. Chase just looked at him and smiled.

"I bet I know what it is." He commented. "What's it been, like three hours since you ate?"

"Well I'm sure the cafe can get us all the crappy food we want when we get back." Kendall responded as she threw her scanner in the back. "Stupid thing still registers the whole area as a hotspot. I need better..."

Her words tailed off as she looked around.

"Chase...where's the Energem?" She asked him.

"It's in there in the crate." He told her.

"I was sure it was..."

"We moved stuff around to get our ancient friend here in Kendall." He assured her. "It's in there, you packed it yourself!

"I guess you're right." Kendall replied. "Come on guys; let's get out of here before Koda starts looking for that bear."

"Why would he look for the bear?" Chase asked.

"He used to hunt sabre-toothed tigers." Kendall told him. "He's hungry...what exactly do you think he did for food in his time?"

"I bet you're glad we have take-outs now dude." Chase commented, slapping Koda on the back as they headed for the cab. "Though I imagine fighting a tiger had to work up quite an appetite."

"It did." Koda replied honestly. Was definitely hungry when finished."

Back at the site of the battle, Ice Age started to approach Shelby and Tyler. He had unleashed all his power on them, freezing them solid. He was sure they had to have perished, given how much power he had used. Unfortunately he couldn't see the Energems, and figured they had to have grabbed them.

"You won't need those Energems now." He commented. "Time to smash you into a million pieces!"

Before he got there though, there was a surge of power and the ice around them shattered. Both Shelby and Tyler...they were alive, and they got to their feet! Ice Age had never known anything to survive his freeze blasts!

Shelby and Tyler looked just as surprised as he was! They weren't just alive...they appeared to be completely fine! Perhaps a little chilly, their clothes a little damp but...otherwise none the worse for wear! They both just stood, staring at their Energems in disbelief.

At the truck, as they were packing up the last of the gear, Kendall's phone rang. She looked to it, seeing the museum's number. She just groaned.

"What now?" She muttered, answering it. "Kendall Morgan."

"Kendall, it is Keeper." Keeper yelled down the line, causing Kendall to recoil in pain. While he was wise, he wasn't exactly the most familiar with modern technology, and didn't realise he didn't need to scream down the phone to be heard so far away.

"Keeper, you don't need to shout!" Kendall told him. "What is it?"

"Two of the Dino Chargers...they've disappeared!" He told her. Her face fell.

"What?" She asked in disbelief.

Back at the site of the battle, Shelby and Tyler both felt a surge of power, and huge, oversized revolvers appeared in their hands.

"Where did these come from?" Shelby asked him.

"I don't know." Tyler said, inspecting the gun, finding a place just under the barrel that looked just large enough for his Energem. "But it looks like...this goes in here."

As they plugged in their Energems, they both felt a wave of power. Shelby aimed her pistol and pulled the trigger...but nothing happened.

"So much for that!" She complained. "Where do the bullets go?"

Tyler started spinning the chamber, and accidentally squeezed the trigger. The resultant blast sailed close to Shelby's head! The blast hit Ice Age, knocking him down though.

"Nice shootin' Tex!" Shelby screamed sarcastically. The shot had been close...too close by far! She could smell singed hair! Half an inch and Tyler would likely have blown her head clean off!

"Sorry! I don't know how to use this thing!"* Tyler said sheepishly.

"It's a GUN genius!" Shelby told him. "You point that end AWAY from things you don't want to shoot, and only pull the damn trigger when you want to shoot!"

"I'm sorry!" Tyler continued. "I just started spinning this...thing and...it started working I guess!"

As Ice Age started to get back up, they both started to spin the chambers. They still had no idea where these weapons came from or how they worked, but right now that wasn't the most pressing matter. As they both pulled the trigger though, the beams that shot out turned and came right back! They both tried to shield themselves; waiting for the inevitable...but instead of oblivion, what came was...power! They felt an amazing rush of power. As Tyler finally opened his eyes, he looked to Shelby...only it wasn't. Standing before him was the Pink Ranger! In her visor, he could see his reflection...only it wasn't him he saw, but the Red Ranger.

**A/N: **OK, quick note about the passage marked with a * This was something about the show I wanted to address. I, like the show have had a bit of fun with the whole concept of mishandling guns, but believe me I don't take it as a joke. Bad things happen when guns are not handled responsibly.

Speaking as a resident of the UK, where gun ownership is, for the most part, illegal and few are permitted to own or use them with good reason, I don't claim to be an expert on handling guns, but I do know the hard and fast rules of safety. Namely, NEVER handle a gun you don't know how to use, ALWAYS assume it is loaded and ready to fire, NEVER put your finger on the trigger until you intend to use it, and most importantly, NEVER point it at anything unless you fully intend to destroy it and are ready for the results! While I, like the show played it for laughs, I think we can all agree this could very well have been a VERY different story...and a very short season for Shelby as a result of Tyler's careless shot.

OK, getting off the soap box now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	15. Two New Rangers

Kendall was sitting in the middle seat of the truck, her head in her hands as Koda and Chase finished loading up. Chase saw her as he got into the driver's seat and sighed.

"We got the fossil!" He reminded her, trying to cheer her up. While she could be abrasive, he knew that she was basically a good person and he really didn't like seeing her beating herself up.

"Two of the Dino Chargers disappeared Chase!" She muttered. "There's only one reason that would happen. Someone's bonded to the Energems!"

"Well...we were going to have to find people to bond with them anyway right?" He asked her. "This basically cuts that search time in half right?"

"They could be bonded to anyone Chase, ANYONE!" Kendall told him. "We have no idea if they're even remotely qualified..."

Just then, there was a huge roar that caused both of them to look around. Chase just shook his head, figuring it had to be the bear they had heard earlier.

"Well...the Energems do have a say in the matter." Chase said, feeling a little uncomfortable. It still hadn't been long since Kendall had been rejected by the Pink Energem...very aggressively, earning her a visit to the local hospital! It wasn't something, he was sure, that she really wanted to dwell on, but it was a valid point. "If they have chosen people to bond with...I'm sure there has to be a reason."

"Can you just...get us back to the museum please?" Kendall asked him. "I think I'm getting a headache."

"I can't yet." He replied. Kendall just looked at him.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because Koda's not in the van?" He replied. Just then, Koda bounded up, throwing himself into the passenger seat.

"Drink too much soda...needed to pee." He told them. "We go now?"

Sure thing mate." Chase answered as he started the engine.

Back at the site of the battle, Tyler and Shelby were darting around between blasts, hammering into Ice Age with enthusiasm. Shelby could hardly believe the power she felt! It felt like every blow she hit could have moved a bulldozer! She could see Ice Age's attacks and react to them far faster than she thought was possible. She felt invincible!

She started to feel a little smug as she smashed him away, finding herself standing right by Tyler.

"This is AWESOME!" She screeched gleefully. "I bet we could..."

Just then, Ice Age regained the upper hand, blasting them while they were talking. Both of them ended up on a heap on the ground.

"Note to self...wait until AFTER the fight to brag." Shelby muttered. Just then, they heard a huge roar. Tyler grabbed her, tackling her out of the way as a massive...well...robotic T-rex stormed through the area. They both de-morphed, and Tyler rolled himself on top of Shelby to protect her. The T-rex Zord lunged forward, snatching up Ice Age in its jaws, before launching him into the distance. Tyler and Shelby both watched in disbelief.

"OK...did we just get attacked by an abominable snowman, and almost trampled by a T-Rex?" She asked. Tyler just nodded in response, still unable to speak. He had seen and heard a lot of bizarre things in his time, but this...well...this really took the biscuit. "OK, just checking."

Tyler looked down to her, seeing her lying on the ground.

"So...are you alright?" He asked her. Shelby just nodded. Staring into his face, she found herself once again having problems finding words. She stared into his eyes, babbling something...but nothing she recognised as words. "What?"

"I...need to breathe." She told him. Tyler realised he was lying right on top of her and got up, allowing her to get to her feet. Shelby stared at him, wanting to thank him, but for some reason there was a barrier between her brain and her mouth that just didn't find a way to say it. Just then, they heard engines starting up. Shelby looked horrified and ran off.

"Koda, Chase!" She called out, but it was too late. The truck was already heading onto the road. "And...there goes my ride."

Shelby knew it was bad enough that any of this had happened...and she was certain she'd have hell to pay when she got back from Ms Morgan when she did...she'd definitely need to come up with a hell of a good explanation where she had been the whole day! The worst part was though...she was miles from anywhere, with no way of getting back! If she started walking now, it would be dark before she got back to the city. She looked sheepishly to Tyler.

"So...you had a rope, a shovel..." She listed. "I don't suppose you have a car do you?"

Tyler pulled out his keys, jingling them.

"I'll give you a lift." He told her.

It didn't take long for them to find his jeep, and soon they were on the road back into town. Shelby's legs bounced nervously sitting next to the stranger. She couldn't sit still, she just...for some reason she couldn't sit still and concentrate. It hadn't escaped her that Tyler was a good looking guy, but normally that didn't affect her. In her life, as a shameless and at times aggressive tomboy, guys didn't really pay her too much attention. She found that sadly not many guys wanted to date a girl that at the last school dance left a guy singing soprano and missing three teeth when he tried to cop a feel during a waltz! She knew her mind, she liked what she liked...and that intimidated a lot of people.

The car was eerily silent. She doubted that this Tyler was expecting that.

"So...mind if I turn on the radio?" She asked. He just shrugged.

"It hasn't worked in about a year." He replied honestly. Shelby reached down, picking up a book from the footwell. If there wasn't going to be any music, and she couldn't think of anything to say...apparently...then she figured she had to fill the time somehow.

As soon as she started reading though...her heart stopped.

"Wait...this says it belongs to..." She looked to Tyler. "You said your name is...?"

"Tyler Nevarro." He told her with a smile.

"As in...Dr NEIL NEVARRO?" She asked, holding up the book. Tyler just looked to her.

"You know my dad?" He asked her. She just squealed.

"I freaking WISH, he's a legend!" She squealed in delight. Shelby's enthusiasm for palaeontology was sincere. She had studied and read practically everything that had ever been written in the field. No one could research into the field without coming across the name Nevarro. At one time, he was considered the Einstein, the Freud, the Grey of the field. His work had at one time pretty much DEFINED the field. It was then that a horrible thought occurred to her and her face fell. She knew of him, she knew what people said and what had happened to Dr Nevarro. She knew that ten years ago, he disappeared without a trace...simply vanished. "Um...so you are...?"

"I'm looking for him." Tyler sighed. "He went missing when I was a kid...I came here because this was the last place anyone saw him."

Back at the museum, Kendall stormed into the Command Centre, and started up a computer, beginning to get to work. Keeper came to her side.

"Kendall..."

"We went out looking for an Energem and now two are active!" Kendall cut him off. "The Dino Chargers were tied into the DNA of the dinosaurs they represent and the Energem radiation. The ONLY reason they'd disappear is because someone bonded to them!"

"That appears to be the case." He agreed. Kendall just looked to him.

"Which ones went missing?" She asked him, looking to the table. All the Dino Chargers were still there. She had designed them to return to the secure location of the Command Centre when they weren't needed. While their bright, gaudy appearance meant they basically looked like toys, and she had no reason to think anyone would panic, they were pretty large pistols, meaning that they weren't exactly inconspicuous. Those bonded to an Energem could call them to them in times of need...but they didn't have to walk around with an eight pound, fifteen inch revolver tucked into their pants. It was a practical measure.

"One of them was the Tyrannosaurus Charger." Keeper told her. "I also felt the presence of the T-Rex Zord...it appears it awakened..."

"What about the other?" Kendall asked him. Keeper just looked to her.

"The other was the Tricera-charger." He told her. Kendall ran out of the Command Centre, heading back to the truck. Chase and Koda were busy unloading. Kendal shoved Koda roughly out of the way, something that startled both him and Chase. She had a very nurturing, understanding approach to how she dealt with Koda. Chase could never remember a time she raised her voice in front of him, and unlike everyone else, because a lot of his 'language' was essentially physical and done through gesture and touch, she didn't keep him at arm's length like she did anyone else. They both watched as she scrambled into the back of the truck.

"What happen?" Koda asked. "Why Kendall...crazy?"

"Bad time of the month?" Chase offered weakly. Kendall came out of the truck, right between them.

"It's gone! The Pink Energem is gone!" She snapped at them, storming away. "FUCK!"

"Kendall say bad word...she never say bad words." Koda stated. "She mad at us?"

"To be honest mate, I think she's just mad." Chase sighed. "And since we've just lost the only Energem we actually had...maybe she has the right to be."

Back in the jeep, things were becoming a little more awkward. Shelby eventually broke the silence.

"So...you're looking for your dad?" She asked him. Tyler just nodded as he changed gear.

"I left home straight after graduation." He told her. "I know what people say, I know what they think..."

"Not all of them." Shelby told him. "A lot of people still think he's a genius..."

"Not enough to go and look for him." Tyler replied a little bitterly. Shelby couldn't answer that shot at all. It was true, while some still valued his work; most people genuinely thought he was insane when he disappeared. "I'm sorry it's just..."

"It's your dad I get it." Shelby answered.

"I know it's just...I get all messed up thinking about it." Tyler told her honestly. "I had a heart condition, one that almost killed me. I had a transplant a while back to fix it."

"OK?" Shelby offered.

"It was congenital." Tyler told her. "There's no history of it in my mom's side of the family, a lot of people think he might have just had a heart attack in a cave or something."

"Well...maybe he did." Shelby suggested. Tyler just shook his head.

"Even if that WAS the case...I need to know." He put down flatly. "I will find him, one way or another."

Shelby looked back to the book, flicking through some pages. It was clear this was a huge thing for Tyler. He had to be about the same age as her, and he had left home on his search. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that had a trust fund or anything, so she assumed he had to be living on the road. As she thumbed through the pages, she found one that made her stop and chilled her to the core.

"Wait...what's this?"

"Dad thought he was being stalked before he died, he kept claiming he saw this thing." Tyler told her, pointing to the picture. "He said he kept seeing it wherever he went."

"Well with what we saw today, I'm open to the idea this thing might exist." She told him. "And it makes the thing we faced today look like the Tooth Fairy."

"I don't know who or what that thing is, but...I can't believe it was just something my dad dreamt up." Tyler told her. "Whatever it is, that thing is the key to finding him."

Back at the museum, Kendall was sitting in the Dino Bite cafe, going through some reports when Chase arrived. The fact that all the waiting staff were giving her a wider berth than usual indicated that she was in a foul mood. It wasn't really much of a surprise.

"So, if I sit here...do I have to worry about you biting my head off?" He asked her. Kendall just pulled off her glasses glaring at him.

"I have Micros reports to look through." She told him. Chase just sat down.

"Isn't that the supervisor's job?" He asked her.

"Yes, but since I just fired the supervisor for stealing from the till, I have to do it!" She snapped.

"You know...I'm not the enemy here." He stated.

"No, but you are about as useful as..."

Her words were cut off as Chase slammed a fist into the table. Kendall stared up at him.

"OK, you're not a social person, I get that, and I put up with a lot of shit from you, but this ends now." He told her in a low voice. "You thought you were going to bond to the Pink Energem, you thought you were going to follow in your aunt's footsteps I get that. But that isn't the way things worked out."

"Two Energems are out there bonded to people who probably don't even know what they ARE!" Kendall snapped.

"And they wouldn't have chosen them if there wasn't a reason, you KNOW that!" Chase answered. "But that's the problem isn't it?"

"So you're a psychologist now?" She asked him.

"No, I'm just someone who understands what it means to be rejected." Chase told her. "It hurts, it's a kick in the guts...it sucks."

"Well, thank you for that Dr Freud." She said sarcastically. "Now if you're quite finished..."

"You weren't chosen, someone else was!" Chase interrupted her. "Now, either you can sit here and sulk about it, or you can realise that there's someone out there with Ranger tech that our lives may depend on one day. I don't know about you, but if I'm going into a fire fight, I want to know the one that has my back is up to the job."

With that, he walked away. Kendall watched him go, before burying her face in her hands. Chase pissed her off a lot, but the thing that pissed her off more than anything right now; more than his arrogance, more than his bull-headed ways...was the fact that he had a point. Like it or not, they had a Pink Ranger to find, and as much as Kendall wanted it to be different, as much as she wanted to live up to the legacy her aunt had left for her, someone else had the power that she felt rightfully belonged to her...and it was up to her to train them to use it!


	16. Granite' Matt

**A/N: **OK, this is more of an interlude than a genuine chapter. It is slightly out of the time-scale, but I'm sure you can all figure out roughly where it falls into the current events. Despite the fact he's only been onscreen for about two minutes of one episode; I've just had a lot of vivid mental images about Matt Griffin, and really wanted to do something with him. Hope you all enjoy it.

Matt watched as his brother ran, passing the barn for the third time. He couldn't help smiling. Riley always trained like he was training for...something, like there was some great war or some massive event that he was destined to be a part of, regardless of the fact that there really wasn't anything. Sure, a lot of people in the town...if it could be called that...trained for stuff, usually the school football team or the local rodeos, but even they thought Riley's training bordered on the obsessive...and no one really knew what he was training FOR.

Matt was older than riley by a significant margin, just short of six years separated them. It wasn't the only thing that separated them. They had both grown up on the farm, but Riley just never seemed like he belonged there. He didn't like yard work, he wasn't overly fond of the livestock...hell, he didn't even REALLY like going outside much except to train. As much as Riley loved his family dearly, at times it seemed like he was born in entirely the wrong place.

Matt though knew this was where he was meant to be. He had barely left the town since he had been born. While most would consider the farm to be a part of the nearby city of Amber Beach, the truth was it was in the town of Millport. Town...that was a generous way to describe it, the whole of Millport basically comprised of about a dozen family farms, and one street housing the General Store, a tavern and the doctor's office. If the population of the town ever broke into four figures, it would be a miracle. Matt had grown up there his whole life. Everyone knew him, and he knew everyone. That was where he felt comfortable. His family had owned the farm for six generations.

Matt was not stupid. He had graduated from his local High School as Valedictorian, but he could never see himself doing anything but working on the farm. His late father had owned it, inheriting it from his father. Matt had only been fifteen when his dad passed away...lung cancer. His dad was a heavy smoker. While his mother did all she could to keep the family farm running, Matt had basically been the man of the family, the main breadwinner since his father died. His mom was a small woman, so certain things like controlling the bull and moving bales of hay were simply not possible for her. She relied on Matt to keep things running.

Matt saw his brother though, and knew that this wasn't his destiny. As much as he loved his brother and loved having him around, he could see that he just didn't belong here. Millport was a tiny place, with a small town mentality. Riley was smart...brilliant even. It wasn't long after he started school before Matt couldn't hope to help him with his homework. He couldn't for the life of him understand his interests or his passion for fencing, but the one thing that was heartbreakingly clear was that Riley did not belong in Millport. If he stayed, that light, that spirit in his younger brother that Matt loved so much would slowly but surely wither and die. As much as it pained him, Matt knew that he would need to leave. He deserved to go to college, to pursue his dreams, to do...whatever it was he wanted to do with his life. Unfortunately, that would require something Matt knew that he could never offer him.

He looked up as a van arrived and Charlie, the mail man, got out, looking out a stack of letters. That was the reason Matt was there. He was standing by the mail box as he did every day.

"Hey Charlie." He sighed. "What have you got for me?"

"The usual bills." Charlie replied sadly. Charlie and Matt had gone to school together. They had been good friends since they were in kindergarten. It was the reason Charlie hated bringing this mail to them. The family was in serious financial trouble. The farm hardly ever made ends meet. The sad fact was that between the sharp economic downturn a few years previously, and the effects of several large businesses pushing the price of produce down further and further to offer good deals, the farm was simply not making much, if any money. Matt had taken up the business side of things to keep his mom oblivious to the fact that they were pretty close to having to make a choice whether or not they had to sell the farm.

"Are any of the envelopes red?" Matt asked him. The one thing he hadn't done was re-mortgage the farm. It was pretty much the only thing they really had left that they owned, and he wasn't about to risk that, but every month, it looked more and more like that might just be the only way out of the trouble they were in.

"A couple of them are marked as final demands." Charlie said apologetically. "Matt, look...I have some money; it's not much but..."

"I can't do that Charlie." Matt sighed. He was genuinely grateful, he knew that Charlie would gladly give him anything he had, but Matt was a proud man. He couldn't see his friend giving him the shirt off his back, only to lose everything anyway. "Thanks though."

"So...what are you going to do?" He asked. Matt just looked to him.

"I'm going to the cedar mill." Matt answered. Charlie's face dropped.

"Matt, think about this." He told him. "I have money..."

"Not enough!" Matt replied sharply. "Call them for me; tell them I'll be there tonight."

Late that night, Matt drove his truck up to the old cedar mill, where the parking lot was already full of cars. It was a working mill, but after hours, it operated an entirely different business. Matt headed inside, finding a crowd already forming. He looked around, finding Charlie, standing next to another local figure of renown. Adam Kirk. He was a promoter of sorts...a promoter of blood sports. He operated out of a few rural communities, taking advantage of the culture of blood sports. He ran dog fights, cock fights, hare coursing...but the real money maker was what he did at the cedar mill, bare knuckle boxing.

Adam was a slimy, sleazy kind of guy, with pockmarked skin, hideous oversized black-rimmed glasses and a suit that made him look like a ten-year-old that had tried on one of his dad's suits to make him look like a grown-up. If he was five feet tall, that was it. His face split into a hideous grin as he saw Matt.

"Charlie told me you were coming tonight, I wasn't sure if he was just flapping his gums." Adam greeted him, extending a hand. Matt didn't reach to shake it. He hated Adam, and everything he was, but he knew he needed him. More accurately, he needed his money.

"Am I on the card?" He asked. Adam just smirked.

"How could I refuse you? The crowd loves it when you turn up." He stated. "You should make it a regular thing."

"I told you, I'm not interested." Matt answered. "When am I on?"

Just then a roar went up from the crowd. Adam looked to the 'ring', in reality just a hastily erected circle of packing pallets, to see a guy being dragged from it, bleeding onto the floor.

"Right about now I'd say." Adam told him nonchalantly, not even caring that someone had almost been beaten to death only yards from them. "Of course...there is still the small matter of your stake."

Riley pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to him. Adam just snorted.

"And what exactly is this?" He asked him.

"It's the pink slip to my truck." Matt told him.

"The stake is..."

"We both know my truck is worth more than the stake." Matt told him. "It's also all I have."

Adam considered it for a moment, then put the envelope in his pocket.

"Since it's you." He answered with the sincerity of a python coiling up in front of a field mouse. "Go on then, your public awaits."

Matt headed to the ring as the crowd started baying, calling out for more blood. Matt vaulted over the wall of packing pallets, getting into the ring as his opponent did the same.

"Ladies and gentleman, fighting out of Harwood County...Mad Max Balliton!" The announcer called out, raising a cheer from the crowd. The guy on the other side of the ring stood up to accept the applause. He was a true monster of a man. He was at least a foot and a half taller than Matt, and looked to outweigh him by somewhere between fifty to a hundred pounds! He had a bald head, and a heavily scarred face. He turned to the crowd to accept their adulation as Matt got ready.

"And fighting from right here in Millport, local legend, 'Granite' Matt Griffin!" He called out as Matt pulled off his shirt and started to stretch out.

The two fighters approached the centre of the ring, at which the referee started to explain the rules...namely the fact that the fight went until someone couldn't fight anymore. It wasn't like this was a licensed event where they had ambulance crews on standby and had to stop fights before someone was too badly hurt. Before the referee finished though, Matt felt a sharp knee to the groin, before being sprawled on the floor by a hard right hook. He stroked the side of his face.

"OK, it looks like it's going to be THAT kind of fight." He muttered as he started to get up. Max wasn't waiting for him though, and grabbed him, picking him up and throwing him into one of the stacks of pallets, out of the ring. People cheered for the show.

Matt pulled himself up to his feet. They didn't call him 'Granite' Matt for nothing. He'd always been a rough and tumble kind of guy, growing up on a farm it kind of came with the territory, but even beyond that he was considered hardy. He'd been in more than one fight growing up when people started to speak ill of his little brother, and more than once when he was at school, he'd ended up walking away from fights with five or six other kids. One time, he'd even been butted by the family bull and walked away. His nickname was a result of the fact that many considered him to be make of freaking concrete!

He went to the ring, getting back in which surprised Max to no end.

"The fight's not done until it's done!" He told him. "Try and put me down again!"

Max came steaming in like a bulldozer, but that was when he opened himself up. As he came for him, Matt ducked out to the side, slamming a fist into his stomach, doubling the larger man over in one shot. His second shot hit him right in the kidney, at which Max's legs buckled and he sank to his knees.

Matt moved around to the front, striking him once in the jaw, catching the sweet spot. It was smaller than a postage stamp, but the sweet spot was a point on the tip of the jaw that boxers called the sweet spot because it was almost guaranteed to end a fight. A punch there would drive the jaw bone back into nerve endings, causing a kind of overload in the brain. Matt turned his back on Max as soon as he hit him. He knew the man was unconscious before he hit the floor. Charlie threw him a damp towel to clean himself off. Matt didn't need to wait for the referee's count to know the fight was over.

"Your winner, 'Granite' Matt Griffin!" The ring announcer called out. Matt gave a polite wave to the crowd, before heading out of the ring. Adam was waiting with an envelope.

"You know, you could earn more if..."

"Just give me the damn money." Matt growled. Adam handed him the envelope, which contained his truck's pink slip and a significant amount of cash. Matt took it, not even bothering to count. Adam was many things, but a cheat he wasn't. He always paid what he owed.

"I could line up..."

"I'll call you when I want another fight." Matt cut him off, before leaving the building and going back to his truck.

He arrived back at the farm, killing the lights before he got up to the house. He didn't want to risk waking Riley or his mom. He got into the house, heading straight to the kitchen and opened a cabinet, pulling out a box of aspirin. He knew that in a few hours, he'd have to get up to start his chores, and the last thing he needed was to be slowed up by his bruises.

Matt started the tap running, checking it with his fingers to check the temperature. Once it was cold enough, he picked up a glass, filling it, and dropping a couple of aspirin into it.

"Matt?" He heard a weary voice saying. He looked to the door, seeing Riley standing before him, his hair a mess, his eyes half shut. Obviously he'd woken him up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Matt replied apologetically. "I was just getting back..."

"Where from?" Riley asked. "It's half two in the morning!"

"Charlie and I went to the tavern for a few." Matt lied. "I lost track of time."

"What happened to your face?" Riley asked. Matt knew he had to have seen the red marks. One of the things that led to his nickname of 'Granite' was the fact he didn't bruise easily. More often than not, he would walk away from a fight with barely a mark the following day. That didn't mean that shortly after the injury, he didn't get red marks like anyone else. It took a while for the swelling to go down.

"The Fisher Boys." Matt lied again. "Their sister Shannon started talking to me...they didn't like that."

"Whatever, I have to be up soon to train before school." Riley muttered. "Good night."

"Good night Riley." Matt answered. As his brother went back up to bed, Matt leaned over the sink and spat out some blood, before grabbing the aspirin, which had now dissolved. Tomorrow, he would pay off some of his bills, but right now, he needed to get ready for sunrise. It wouldn't be long before his family needed him again.


	17. Kendall's Research

The following morning, Matt got up a little later than usual. His constitution was strong, and he barely had a mark on him. Once he got his shirt on, he was certain that his mom would be none the wiser. It wasn't like she'd noticed any of the other times he'd paid the bills that kept the wolves from the door in the Cedar Mill. That said, as he got up, he could still feel a few strains. Mad Max was no lightweight in the ring. After a quick shower, he got dressed hastily, heading into the main house, where his mom was coming back after feeding some chickens.

"Heavy night last night?" She asked him. Matt froze up for a moment, but he doubted his mom would be smiling if she knew exactly what he'd be doing. "I didn't hear you come in and I found the remains of a soluble aspirin in the sink. I guess you and Charlie got a little carried away."

"Yeah, we kind of did." Matt answered, relaxing as he realised she seemed satisfied he'd just been at the tavern a little too long.

"Well you better not think that'll get you out of fixing those fences." Mrs Griffin scolded him playfully. She knew how much she relied on Matt. Not only did he do a lot of the heavy work on the farm she simply couldn't handle, a few years back he had taken over a lot of the business affairs, running deliveries and paying bills in town. As grateful as she was, she knew he was still young, and he was entitled to something of a life of his own. She couldn't blame him for the occasional heavy night in the local tavern. "It's self-inflicted; you'll get no sympathy from me."

"I'll just get Riley; he's got time to help out." Matt told her. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind earning a bonus to his allowance while he's got all this free time."

"It's half-term break, not a holiday!" Mrs Griffin reminded him. "Just don't keep him out too long; he still has some study to do."

"I'm not planning on working him like a dog, just offering him the chance to help his big bro and earn a few extra bucks." Matt assured her. "Where is he anyway?"

"Where do you think?" His mom asked. Matt just smiled as he headed out. "Don't keep him out too long! His studies are important!"

"I won't!" Matt called back as he left the house, going in search of his brother.

Meanwhile, Kendall was working frantically in the lab, checking scans and energy signatures from the weapons once they reappeared back in the lab. One of the things that was a benefit to the technology she and Anton created was that it didn't stay with the Rangers. Like most other weaponry that existed within the Morphing grid, it regressed to a kind of pocket within existence that existed outside the physical. It was how the Rangers could get around without carrying around an arsenal on them at all times. It wasn't as though carrying around huge guns, swords, battle axes of the likes was exactly inconspicuous. It had the benefit that the Rangers could summon their weapons to them pretty much anywhere on the planet when they needed them, only to return them to the ether when they needed to blend into the crowd once more.

The benefit it had here was that once the battle was over, and the two new Rangers had de-morphed, the weapons had returned to their state outside the physical reality. From there, Kendall could summon them into the lab, a precaution built in to allow her to perform maintenance and upgrades to their arsenal between battles. In this instance though, she was using this for another purpose.

Practically their whole arsenal littered the work bench, but in a couple of clamps were the ones Kendall was interested in. The Tyrano and Tricera Chargers were on the bench, and Kendall was running a scanner over the handles when Keeper arrived.

"Do you mind if I ask what you're doing?" He asked her.

"I'm trying to find out who's running around with access to my technology." Kendall answered.

"YOUR technology?" He asked, looking a little surprised. Kendall was territorial, but she wasn't that territorial. While a good percentage of the technology they now used was based on her work, she wasn't egotistical enough to believe all of it was hers. There were others that were involved. A team had worked tirelessly on the project for months before she was given the sole task of bringing it to Amber Beach.

"OUR technology." Kendall corrected her. "Since I doubt the majority of people wear gloves as a force of habit, I figured there was a chance they held the morphers in their bare hands, at least for a moment. I thought it might be worth checking to see if there's anything on fingerprint recognition."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but that would only really work if one or other of them had a criminal record." Keeper reminded her as he came around to where she could see him. "You know they will be here soon enough. We will get all of the answers we want then."

While much of the Rangers' power was down to the technology, that was only really a way of harnessing and refining the energy of the Energems into a more practical form. The real power behind it all was the mystical element of the Energems, which were intrinsically tied to Keeper on a mystical level. When someone bound to the Energems, they started to feel an overwhelming, unexplainable pull to seek him out, even if they didn't really know who he was or why they felt that pull. They were simply irresistibly drawn to his location. It was the way he would find those bonded to the Energems and be able to explain to them what was expected of them. It wasn't clear when, but now they were bonded, Kendall and her team didn't really need to find them. Soon, the new Rangers would find Keeper.

"Well excuse me if I don't want to wait that long." Kendall told him. "I'd rather know what I can about them before..."

"And if this tells us nothing?" He asked, just then the computer bleeped. Kendall just looked to Keeper, before turning to the computer. She sat at the desk, and began checking up the file before her.

"Tyler Nevarro." She told him. "Nevarro...that name's familiar."

She looked a little into his file.

"18 years old...nothing huge here on file, a few cautions for vagrancy and minor affray...wow...across pretty much the entire country!" She carried on. "It looks like he's been busy. He left his home town and has been on the move ever since."

"Perhaps he was searching for something even before finding the Energem." Keeper suggested. Kendall checked into his background.

"That's why the name's familiar." She gasped, checking into his family background. "Dr Neil Nevarro is his father. He disappeared 10 years ago, but before then...let's just say like father like son. His record wasn't exactly clean. It looks like there's a lot of overlap in some of the places they've been."

"It appears the son has been looking for his father. It is a natural instinct." Keeper stated. There was another ping on the computer, and Kendall furrowed her brows.

"You have a hit on the other Ranger?" Keeper asked.

"Yes." Kendall told him. "But this isn't from criminal records."

"Then what source?" Keeper asked in response.

"It's from the employee database." Kendall answered, looking more than a little surprised by this. The museum, like many workplaces, used a kind of punch clock system to keep track of the employee's hours of work. In the case of the museum, it was operated on a fingerprint scanner. It eliminated the need for ID cards, and also meant that in theory at least, the employee had to be present to clock in and out. It was possible to lend someone a key card in order to be credited with an hour or so they weren't in the building, but it wasn't like most people would chop off and lend someone their finger!

Kendall pulled up the record, and Keeper could see her tensing up.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered. "The Energem bonded to HER?"

Back on the farm, Riley was in the barn, working hard on his technique. It had been a couple of weeks since his first tournament, and although he hadn't won, his experience had only increased his thirst to improve himself. He'd ended up with three silver medals in his first ever tournament. Next time...he was determined at least one of them would be gold!

As he went for a massive thrust, he could hear a horse, following which the door to the barn flew open. Matt was sitting on his horse, pulling in his lasso. Riley just held his foil up behind his back.

"Are we forgetting something?" Matt asked him. Riley just started to stammer something. "I think it was something about a promise someone not too far from here made about helping fix some fences if I promised him an extra twenty bucks on his allowance."

"I...thought you could use a long lie." Riley offered. "You were in quite late last night."

"I'll be fine Riley, and we have a job to do." He chuckled. "Now if you've quite finished playing three musketeers, we've got some work to do."

Riley just sighed, throwing his foil, which stuck into a wooden wagon wheel, before going to get changed.

A little while later, he was out at the edge of the field with a large spool of wire and some bold cutters, mending fences. He hadn't been at it long, but he was already tired. The only thing that helped him get through it, apart from the thought of an extra twenty dollars and the fact the local picture house was showing a double feature of the Scarlet Pimpernel and The Count of Monte Cristo at the weekend, was the fact that working the cutters was actually a pretty good exercise for his grip. The way his forearms were aching was evidence of that.

As he was working, he heard his dog Rubik a little way off, barking at something. He had set him off running to give him something to do while he was working. He imagined that he was probably chasing some rabbits or other local critters. Rubik was well trained to stay away from the livestock, but his incessant barking started to irritate him.

"Rubik, knock it off!" He called out. "I can't hear myself think!"

Rubik kept barking though, and if anything, it seemed to intensify. This caught Riley's attention. Rubik was more than just a pet, he was a working dog. He was well trained to work with animals that would be easily spooked. The only reason he would keep barking despite an order would be if he thought he was in danger.

"Rubik?" Riley called out again. He followed the barking, making his way through the undergrowth. As he rounded a tree, he finally saw what had Rubik so spooked.

It was...well, he had no idea how he would describe it! It wasn't human, and it definitely didn't look like any animal he had ever seen. It was like a monster from some movie. Fury was rounding on Rubik, who on instinct was trying to scare off someone that was approaching his family home.

"Shut UP you primitive creature!" Fury snapped at the dog, keeping it in sight. He had come out here in search of an Energem. He had managed to get a reading from the area. He didn't know why, but suddenly a lot of the interference had cleared up. It was a while before he was due to meet with Ice Age to get his Energem, and so he had decided to take the opportunity to get it while he could. "I won't be stopped by some animal!"

Seeing him raise a sword, Riley reacted without even thinking. He ripped a steel rod that was meant to be part of the fence out of the ground, and rushed towards him.

"Get away from my dog!" He screamed as he parried Fury's strike. Fury turned his attention to Riley, who started to back away. He was starting to regret taking this creature on. His heart was racing, and he gulped deeply, realising that now it was concentrated entirely on him.

"BIG mistake!" Fury commented as he ran at Riley, forcing the teenager to defend himself.

Back at the lab, Chase and Koda had been called down to the lab. Kendall was sitting by some computers, having pulled up everything she could find out about the two new Rangers. With some creative hacking, it wasn't particularly difficult to find out a lot about them. High school records, medical records...a lot of them were accessible to someone of Kendall's intelligence. The others weren't really surprised she felt the need to try and find out about who was now running around with Ranger powers.

"So...these are our new Rangers then." Chase said with a little smile.

"They come here soon?" Koda asked.

"They should be here soon enough." Keeper assured him. "They will already feel the pull to our location."

"I just hope this guy doesn't feel like he can come in here and start running the show." Chase stated. They all looked to him. "I know its tradition or something that the Red Ranger leads a team, but we've been doing this for a while now."

"The Tyrannosaurus was a natural leader. Its Energem saw that in it." Keeper told him. "I am certain that it sees the same in this Tyler."

"Well, I can see what the Energem saw in Tyler." Kendall stated, checking his record. "But Shelby..."

"The Energems choose those who bear them for a reason." Keeper told her.

"I know it's just, Tyler...he's been all over the country on his search single handed." She told them. "That shows determination, resilience...Shelby..."

"We do not have a choice in who the Energems choose." Keeper reminded her.

"So we just have to work with what we've got." She grumbled. "Wonderful."

"Boy those grapes taste sour." Chase said under his breath. Kendall glared at him. He doubted she had heard him, but she obviously figured he had said something. Just then, they heard a sound behind them. One of the Dino Sabres that was sitting on the workbench, that Kendall had called when she brought the blasters into the physical realm to scan suddenly shifted and disappeared.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding." She sighed.

Back at the farm, Riley pulled the rod, or what USED to be the rod out of the stone. He didn't know what had happened, but when it lodged into the rock, exposing a dinosaur fossil and some kind of green crystal, green energy flowed up the bar, and he felt himself flooded with strength. As it came free, he looked to it, seeing the rod had transformed into a sword.

It was an elegant blade. It was unlike any sword he had ever seen, it was mostly green, and appeared to be of modern design, but what he couldn't deny was that it was an excellent blade. It felt light, and perfectly balanced for him, almost like it had been made just for him. As Fury came for him once more, screaming something about a gem, he didn't bother to question it. He just took the blade and continued the battle.

The blade felt like an extension of his body, and his training took over. More than that, he moved with a speed and strength he couldn't believe. He finally managed to land a blow on the creature, which sent it flying in a wave of energy. Riley could see it was still moving though, and decided that it was probably best not to press his luck.

He went back to the rock, pulling out the green crystal and looked back to Rubik.

"Come on boy!" He ordered it. Rubik followed him as he ran. Riley got back to the farm, and skidded to a halt. He looked back.

"What the...?" He exclaimed. He was a good runner, he trained a lot...but he wasn't THAT good. The journey from the edge of the farm to the house usually took him a couple of minutes at least at a good pace. He had made it there so quickly that Rubik arrived a moment after him. He just stared at the green crystal in his hand in confusion as a series of images came to his mind. The velociraptor, a cave, and some creature he had never seen before.

"What is this thing?" He asked himself.

He went inside, going to the computer and started up an internet search. He didn't know what he was looking for...but it was like he was possessed. His hands typed without any direction for him. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself staring at the website for Amber Beach Museum. His mom arrived in the room, finding him at the computer.

"Taking a break?" She asked him.

"Yeah...I'll get back to it soon." He told her. "There was...uh...a stag. He looked kind of riled up."

"Well it IS mating season, so that's probably a good call." She told him, knowing that stag could get pretty aggressive around that time of year. She looked to the computer, seeing the site. "Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum?"

"Yeah...I found it..." Riley told her. "Um...mom...would it be alright if I went there some time?"

"I don't know, it is kind of a long way." She said thoughtfully, but looking to her youngest son, she smiled. She could never say no to him for long, and she figured he might learn something. "Well, I suppose it is educational. I'll have Matt check out your scooter; make sure it's up to the trip."

"It was fine..."

"When was the last time you rode it?" She asked. Riley couldn't answer. It wasn't something that really interested him. She patted him on the shoulder. "Go and finish the fence. I'm sure the stag is gone by now. I'll have Matt check out the scooter when you're done."


	18. Call of the Keeper

Riley was once again nearly run off the road as his little scooter putted along down the freeway at about forty miles an hour while cars blasted past him. His mom had bought it for him when he turned 16, hoping that he would be able to get himself to and from school on it, but there were more than a few problems with that plan.

The first was that Riley really had no interest in riding it in the first place, he was happy enough to get the bus. Secondly, like most of his possessions, his family didn't really have much money to spend on it, and so they had bought it second-hand from a neighbour...when it was already about ten years old! And most of all, it was just a scooter. It didn't exactly have a huge engine, and while that didn't mean much in the cities in the streets and suchlike, on the open road...it was woefully underpowered and drivers frustrated by being slowed down just blasted past him.

Riley had stopped using it only a couple of weeks after he got it for those reasons. The ride from the farm to school was so stressful that he figured it was better to just try his luck with the bus. He hated riding the damn thing, but he really couldn't avoid it today. Matt and his mother were far too busy to take a whole day away from the farm to take him into the city to see a museum.

He still wasn't sure why exactly he wanted to go, all he knew was that since the attack that morning, since he had grabbed that gem, he had been getting strange visions calling him to the city, telling him there was something at the museum he needed to see. He still had no idea what was happening to him. He had completed all of his chores that morning in record time. He'd never been enthusiastic about the work on the farm, but somehow he had the strength and speed to perform all of his normal duties well before Matt had fixed his scooter. He knew that something strange was going on with him since he'd gotten the crystal. Between the fight with...whatever it was, the fact he had outrun Rubik back to the farm and now completing all his chores in less than half the time they normally took, something was very different.

He heard a loud bang, and looked around, finding dark plumes of smoke billowing out of the back. Matt had told him he had tuned up the scooter, but it was still older than Methuselah, and it had been a long time since he'd ridden it. He felt it starting to slow down sharply and heard the engine failing. He pulled it over to the side of the road, onto the grass verge, before shutting off the engine and getting off it. He just stared at it and sighed, pulling the owner's manual that his brother insisted he carry out of his back pocket.

"Typical." He muttered, before starting to read.

On the road, Tyler and Shelby were making their way back to the city. In a rather uncomfortable moment of silence, Shelby found herself in a strange situation, one she had never found herself in before. She had no idea what to do with her hands. Her knees were bobbing up and down, and she was fidgeting badly, unable to figure out what to do. Tyler just laughed.

"You don't sit still for long do you?" He asked her. Shelby just looked to him.

"What?" She asked him. He flashed her bright grin.

"Don't worry, I'm the same way." He assured her. "I'd much rather be doing stuff than sitting around doing nothing. Anything can be an adventure if you let it be right?"

"I...uh...um...uh..." Shelby stammered, once again finding it difficult to find words. Her mouth was dry, and her brain was apparently on a different planet at that moment in time. "What, like cave-diving alone in an active volcano?" She screwed her eyes shut and mentally kicked herself as soon as she'd said that. Tyler just started laughing though.

"When you say it like that it sounds crazy." Tyler teased her. He knew in a lot of ways it was. He had to admit a lot about his search for his father was crazy. He had left home with little to no money, all in search of a man who had been missing for ten years. He didn't even really know WHERE he went missing. All he had to go on were the journals. He knew that rock climbing and cave-diving were risky activities that ideally should never be undertaken alone. It was all too easy for a mishap to put someone in danger, and without someone to help; those mishaps could very quickly and easily turn deadly. Of course, no one else believed in Tyler's quest really, so he was on his own for most of it. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"Hey, check that out." Shelby rushed out, seeing a way out of the conversation. There was a guy standing at the side of the road, by a broken down scooter, pacing as he read. "What was it your dad always said? Helping people..."

"...is always the right thing to do." Tyler concluded as he pulled over. They both hopped out of the jeep, making their way towards Riley as he flipped through the owner's manual, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. He got frustrated and ran at it, kicking the scooter and swearing loudly.

"I don't claim to be a mechanic, but...I don't think that'll help much." Tyler said with a bright smile. Riley just sighed.

"No, but it made me feel better for a few seconds." He replied.

"You look like you could use a hand." Tyler continued. "Can we...?"

"It'll be fine I'm sure." Riley told him, holding up the owner's manual. "As long as I follow the owner's manual, how can I go...?"

Just then, an arctic truck blasted past, and the gust from it blew the booklet apart in Riley's hands, scattering pages all over the highway. Tyler and Shelby had to try hard not to laugh. Riley didn't look like he was at all amused, he seemed to be moments away from blowing up completely, but he just sighed, throwing the cover into a nearby trash can.

"On second thoughts...can you at least give me a lift into town?" He asked.

"Sure, but just in case, we'll take this with us." Tyler told him, patting the scooter. "Maybe you can get it fixed somewhere in town."

"I think it needs a burial at sea to be honest." Riley told him. "I'm Riley by the way."

"I'm Tyler, and this is Shelby." Tyler told him, gesturing to Shelby.

"OK, I'm noticing a problem here, how EXACTLY are we meant to get this thing on the jeep?" She asked. "It's already full of your equipment, how do you...?"

Tyler went into his backpack and pulled out a fresh length of rope, throwing it to Shelby. She just looked at it, then back to him.

"So, should we just start calling you 'Swiss Army Tyler' or what?" She asked. "Is there anything you don't have in that bag?"

"I don't have any Slim Jims...but I'll probably remedy that when we get to a supermarket." He answered, patting Riley on the shoulder. "Come on Riley, what do you say we hold this up while Shelby ties it to the jeep?"

Shelby looked to her watch as the guys lifted the scooter, while she was unravelling the rope. Seeing the time she just sighed as she realised she had now been missing from the cafe for three hours.

"I am SO fired." She muttered under her breath, beginning to lash the scooter to the tailgate.

Back at the lab, Kendall was running around the computers. She had already figured out the identities of two Rangers, but the third was a complete mystery at present. She elbowed Chase out of the way as she went to another computer bank.

"Damn it, there's nothing on the police or FBI database!" She muttered.

"Uh...isn't that a good thing?" Chase asked her. "It means whoever it is doesn't have a record!"

"It also means I have no idea who's running around with the Green Energem!" She responded.

"You heard Keeper, we'll find out soon enough, they'll be coming here as we speak." Chase reminded her. Kendall just sighed.

"I know I just..."

"You just like to know everything that's going on." Chase concluded. "Because you're a control freak."

"Wait...what did you say?" Kendall said bad-temperedly, rounding on Chase as he sat down, crossing his feet on a workbench.

"You're a control freak." He reiterated. "You aren't happy when things are beyond your control. That's why you like being in charge here, that's why you spend all your time in the lab."

"I am NOT a control freak!" Kendall yelled at him angrily. Chase just smiled.

"Of COURSE you aren't." He teased her, taking a beaker off a shelf and setting it on the table. Kendall crossed her arms and glared at him for a few moments, before picking up the beaker and putting it back on the shelf.

"That proves NOTHING!" She yelled. Just then, her cell phone rang. She answered it aggressively. "WHAT?"

"Uh...Ms Morgan?" One of the waiters answered nervously. "We're really getting hammered up here, and no one's seen that Shelby girl in ages. Can you spare anyone to help?"

"I have just the guy." She replied, flipping away her phone. "Chase, you have barbecues in New Zealand right?"

"Uh...sometimes yeah." He responded.

"So you know how to use a grill?" She asked him.

"I guess." He said with a shrug.

"Perfect, the cafe need help. You can man the grill for them." She told him. He just threw up his hands.

"Uh...what?" He asked.

"Your friend Shelby's still MIA and the cafe needs help." Kendall told him. "Do I have to ask again?"

Chase just saluted sarcastically as he left the lab. Kendall turned back to the computer as the alert went off. Tyler had a record, nothing huge, mostly just warnings for vagrancy when he had slept in his jeep, but that meant that there was a record. She had tracked that to the DVLA, and found a jeep registered in his name. She had put a search out on the local traffic cameras to send up a flag if they spotted him. One of them had responded.

"OK, let's see." She said as she said as she checked out the footage. She saw the scene of an accident, and three people, two of whom she recognised as Tyler and Shelby trying to move the car off a trapped motorist. The third...she had no idea who he was.

A moment later, there was a flash of light, and the car was sent spinning into the air, moments before it exploded. There was no way she could ignore it, that feat was far beyond humanly possible. By all rights, everyone close to the car should have been caught in the explosion and killed. The three figures just stood staring at their hands. Kendall paused the footage.

"OK, we know who you two are." She said as she zoomed in on the third. It looked like a young guy, a kid. She ran his image through a facial recognition system, finding a newspaper article relating to a fencing tournament that had taken place a week or so previously.

"Riley Griffin." She stated, sitting by a keyboard to begin working. "Alright, let's just see who our Green Ranger is."

A while later, Tyler, Shelby and Riley arrived at the front of the museum. Shelby wasn't really looking forward to facing Kendall, knowing that she had now missed pretty much her entire shift, and was likely facing a massive rant, followed by a pink slip.

"OK, we're here." Tyler announced. "The parking lot looks kind of full..."

"Go to the loading bay, round the back." Shelby told him. "I am still employed here...for a few minutes at least."

Tyler did as he was told, pulling the jeep around the back. As they parked up and got out, she saw Chase and Koda walking around. Koda was in his usual coveralls, but Chase...he looked like he was dressed for work in the cafe for some reason...no doubt to cover for her Shelby assumed.

"I'm telling you Koda, that was BRUTAL." He said as he walked with him. "I'm telling you, the sooner the schools go back the better."

"Smell like burgers." Koda stated, holding a hand to his stomach. "Koda hungry."

"Trust me mate, you're always hungry." He chuckled.

"Hey guys!" Shelby called out, but they didn't seem to hear her. As she rounded a corner, they had disappeared altogether.

"Where'd they go?" She asked.

"Whoa, check this out!" Tyler said as he came around the corner, seeing a huge, fibreglass T-Rex head. "Cool!"

"It's totally unrealistic; a T-rex would never grow to be that big." Shelby told him. "It's probably a display for the front door or something."

"Here!" Tyler said, throwing her his cell phone. He climbed into the mouth of the display, posing for a picture. Shelby just looked to him.

"Really?" She asked.

"Can I get one next?" Riley asked. Shelby just shook her head in disbelief.

"Come on? What harm could it do?" He asked her. Shelby just sighed, preparing to take the picture. As he shifted into a pose, pretending he was being eaten, he moved one of the teeth with his hand. Before he knew what was happening, he was tumbling backwards down a slide.

"TYLER!" Shelby called out as she and Riley ran to the mouth, seeing a slide heading down into the ground. Riley swung himself in, sliding down after Tyler. "GUYS! Oh what the hell?"

She slid down, speeding down the slide, getting to the bottom, where the guys were standing looking around. She knocked them off their feet, leaving them all lying in a heap on the floor.

"Sorry." She stated. As they started to get up, they all looked around at the lab. It was unlike anything any of them had ever seen! They could see two gems lodged in a wall, just like the gems they were carrying; only they were black and blue respectively. As Tyler pulled out his gem, it flew out of his hand, into the housing on the wall. He just stared at it open-mouthed. Shelby and Riley both followed suit, at which their gems flew into the wall as well.

"Whoa, this is all so cool!" Tyler exclaimed.

"I have to agree!" Shelby agreed. "I've been working here for weeks, and I had no idea this was here!"

"You and I obviously have a different opinion on the meaning of the word 'work'." Kendall said sarcastically, coming into view.

"Ms Morgan?" Shelby asked her. "What is all this?"

"Perhaps it is best if I explain." Keeper said as he appeared in a flash of light. Shelby, Riley and Tyler all backed up seeing him. They had all seen monsters, and so he wasn't the most bizarre thing they had seen, but they could see he wasn't human.

"OK, who...WHAT are you?" Shelby asked.

"My name is Keeper; I assure you I am quite harmless." He assured them. "Kendall here has been helping me in my search."

"Search?" Tyler asked. "Search for what?"

"These are Energems." He continued gesturing to the crystals in the wall. "They are one of the greatest sources of power in the universe. I am certain by now you have all seen a sample of their power."

They didn't have to think too hard to realise he wasn't kidding. Only hours previously, they had helped free a man trapped under his own car by flipping it several feet into the air! All of them had felt incredible power at one time or another over the last few hours.

"Long ago, I entrusted the Energems to Dinosaurs to keep them from evil hands." He continued, conjuring an image in the air for them to see. They all watched as the dinosaurs bonded to the Energems millions of years previously. "But when the dinosaurs went extinct, the Energems were lost."

"Until...we found them." Tyler surmised. Keeper just nodded.

"Exactly, and now they have bonded to you." He replied. They all saw visions in their minds of the dinosaurs that had held the Energems before them. The Energems had chosen their previous guardians, seeing certain skills and qualities in them that made them suited to carry their power. They had chosen these humans because they felt they had some of the same qualities.

"Why...why would the Energems choose us?" Riley asked.

"Because they think you're the best people for the job." They heard someone say. Chase and Koda came out of a side cave.

"Chase, Koda?" Shelby asked. She then looked to Kendall. "You...you knew about all of this? This is why you came to Amber Beach?"

Kendall just ignored Shelby, going to Tyler.

"You helped a complete stranger at great personal risk to yourself. That is why the Red Energem chose you." She told him. She went to Riley next. "You won three silver medals in your first ever tournament, despite having little access to formal training. Your discipline and skill are amazing. The Green Energem was wise to choose you."

As she got to Shelby, the Pink Ranger was smiling, waiting to hear what Kendall had to say.

"As for why the Pink Energem chose you...that's anyone's guess." Kendall stated. Shelby just stood, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Energems, dinosaur spirits and bonding?" Riley asked. "This sounds a little...unbelievable."

"Believe it mate." Chase said as he and Koda held out their hands, calling their Energems to them. "You're now all officially Power Rangers."

"Wait...Power Rangers?" Shelby asked. "We're...POWER RANGERS?"

"Did you think the suit was just a fashion statement?" Kendall asked her. Just then, an alarm sounded. Shelby, Riley and Tyler all watched as they ran to a viewing screen.

"It looks like the walking ice cube is back." Chase sighed. "And it looks like he's brought friends this time."

"We've never seen numbers like this before." Kendall told them. "Give me your Energems."

The three new Rangers called their Energems, at which Kendall fitted them into casings, handing them back.

"Load these into your Dino Chargers to morph." She told them. They all stared blankly at her. "Well? Aren't you going?"

"You want us to fight THAT thing?" Shelby asked. Kendall rolled her eyes.

"The power chose you to defend the Earth." Keeper told them. "It is now your responsibility to harness that power to fight the forces of evil."

"I'm Tyler." Tyler said with a smile. "And I'm all in!"

They were about to head out, but Shelby held back, clearly hesitant.

"Shelby, aren't you coming?" Tyler asked. She just looked terrified.

"It's alright, she's right to be scared." Kendall answered. "This is obviously all too much...for a waitress."

"Sure, I'm a little scared. Who wouldn't be?" Shelby asked. "But I am MORE than up to this!"

With that, she ran down a corridor, planning to get out of the Command Centre first. She was determined to prove Kendall wrong. The guys stood around, and a moment later...she came back.

"Um..."

"The way out is that way." Chase told her, pointing down another cave. The guys all ran out of the Command Centre, heading into battle. Kendall just took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes.

"I will NEVER know why she was chosen." She muttered.

"The Energem saw something in her. It is clear it believes she is up to the task." He answered.

"How?" Kendall asked him. "She just abandoned the restaurant at the busiest time of day! She's..."

"She is clever and resourceful. She recovered the Pink Energem, even when she knew that doing so would put her in danger." Keeper reminded her.

"She's also headstrong, stubborn...she can't take the simplest of instructions without going ahead and completely ignoring them and doing what she wants anyway!" Kendall ranted. "She stowed away in the truck when I told her not to come with us!"

"Hm...she's clever, stubborn, headstrong...I can see how someone like that can be hard to work with." Keeper said with a wicked little smile. Kendall just stood, completely stunned.

"What's that meant to mean?" She yelled. Keeper just faded from sight. "Keeper...KEEPER! Damn it I HATE when you do that!"


	19. Charged Up

The Rangers arrived at the site of the battle, finding people already fleeing the scene in a blind panic. They were a little surprised how easy it was to get through the streets, but then again, everyone with brains was running the OPPOSITE way. They were the only ones running towards the blasts and the explosions.

They came into a street, finding Ice Age tearing the place apart. This time, he was backed up by dozens of strange, green and white creatures. There were a few people that had been cornered, unable to flee in time before the street was flooded.

"What the heck are those things?" Shelby asked, seeing the Vidiks running around, terrorising citizens.

"Your guess is as good as ours." Chase told her. "We've never seen them before."

"I think it's clear they're bad news though." Tyler answered, his Dino Charger appearing in his hand. "Come on guys, we weren't given these things as a fashion statement!"

"Just try to keep up guys!" Shelby stated, pushing her way to the front. They all watched as she pulled out her Energem...only for nothing to happen. She just stared at it for a moment. Koda came over to her, taking her hand in his.

"Must click." He told her, pressing the switch to activate it. Shelby just looked to the others, who were close to laughing.

"Don't say a word!" She told them. They all loaded their Energems into the Dino Chargers, activating them for the first time.

"Unleash the Power!" They called out as they morphed together as a team for the first time.

Meanwhile, back at the museum, Kendall was keeping track of the battle, making sure the Rangers' equipment functioned as it should. Although she had confidence in her technology, it was still largely untested. They'd had a few small skirmishes before, but nothing on this scale.

The Rangers seemed to be holding their own, despite the greater numbers arrayed against them. She still didn't know what they were, or where they had come from. So far, they knew Fury was on the planet, having been marooned there when Keeper blasted Sledge's ship into the cosmos. Somewhere along the line though, Ice Age had shown up. They didn't know where he had come from, or how Fury had convinced him to fight with him, but it didn't bode well that he had found a powerful henchman that he had somehow convinced to fight for him.

These new creatures lent him numbers. As she observed the battle, Keeper arrived back in the room.

"How are the Rangers doing?" He asked her.

"They're performing admirably." She told him. "A little rough in areas...but I guess we couldn't have expected to be fortunate enough to find a team that have all trained effectively."

"That is something we can help them work on with time." Keeper told her. Just then, he saw the screen. Kendall could see a sudden shift in his expression. He moved closer, observing the screen.

"What is it?" Kendall asked. "Do you know what these things are?"

"Vidiks." He told her. "I have not seen them in millions of years. They are Sledge's personal footsoldiers."

"Sledge?" She asked. "As in...Fury's old boss, the guy you blasted to the other side of the galaxy 65 million years ago?"

"Indeed it is." Keeper told her. Kendall just looked ill.

"Well, we had our suspicions when Ice Age showed up, but I think now the Vidiks are turning up, we can't take it as a coincidence any longer." Kendall said, more than a little nervously. "It looks like Sledge is back."

"It would appear so." Keeper responded. "I should have known he would never give up on his search for the Energems."

"65 million years." Kendall sighed as she turned back to the battle. "You've got to give the guy points for determination."

"You don't know the half of it." Keeper agreed.

Back at the battle, the Rangers were making quick work of the Vidiks. Tyler took down a few of them, before rounding on Ice Age.

"I guess kicking your butt once wasn't enough!" Tyler called out as he rushed him, firing off blasts at the creature. Ice Age blocked the blasts as he closed the gap, swiping out for him with his claws.

"Tyler, hold up!" Chase called out, from the other side of the street. "Don't take him by yourself!"

Tyler though wasn't listening. As much as he knew it wasn't the best plan, his spirit of adventure quickly got the better of him. The power flowing through him was amazing, and he relished the challenge of taking on such a powerful foe. He staggered back from one of his blows, his suit holding up to the worst of it.

"Tyler, for God's sake there's five of us for a reason!" Riley called out as he sliced through a few more Vidiks, finally clearing a way to help him. Shelby finished with her own opponents, quickly joining them.

"It looks like the odds aren't in your favour!" Riley called out, carving into him with his Dino Sabre. "Give it up!"

He was blasted back as Ice Age unleashed a huge amount of power. As Riley peeled himself off the ground, they could see that the blast had taken almost as much out of Ice Age as it had out of Riley.

"What's he doing?" Shelby asked. "He almost destroyed himself!"

"You won't win, you CAN'T win!" Ice Age screamed at them. "I'm never going back! I'm going to destroy you...or I'll destroy us all trying!"

"Uh...guys, check this out." Chase said as the last remaining Vidiks ran towards each other, jumping into a massive dog-pile in the middle of the street. A few moments later, they shifted into a kind of huge, formless mass, before shifting shape. Before the Rangers knew what was happening, they had formed into one massive Vidik.

"OK...um...that's...that's new." Chase stated.

"How we fight that?" Koda asked.

"I think I have an idea." Tyler told them. "You guys deal with the walking ice cube."

The other Rangers watched Tyler opening up his belt buckle, finding more power cells inside. Pulling one out, he launched it into the distance.

"Uh...OK what he doing?" Koda asked as he combined his Dino Sabre, and Dino Blaster, forming a kind of short rifle that he turned on Ice Age, hitting him with a series of power blasts, staggering him. "He throw weapons away?"

"Uh...your guess is as good as ours!" Chase replied, joining in, covering Riley as he closed in for another attack.

Back at the Command Centre, Kendall was watching the battle unfold. She could hardly believe what she was seeing as she saw Tyler throwing the power cell away.

"I can't...he's..." She started to stammer.

"We already know that the power of the Tyrannosaurus spirit has taken form. The energy signatures from the woods were undeniable." Keeper responded with a smile. "It seems he is trying to unite with it."

"That's...that's never been attempted before!" Kendall called out. "We've got no idea if the technology is up to it! We've never even seen one of these Zords...we don't know how they'll respond, and yet...now he's trying to call one into the middle of the city?"

"The Rangers need his power." Keeper answered.

"I get that the Zords are powerful, but they're also sentient! How can we be sure how they'll react?" She snapped in response. "We don't even know..."

"Caution is a good trait in a scientist." She heard a familiar voice saying, drawing her attention to the entrance. "But no test will ever be without risk. Sometimes...the only thing left is to try it and hope for the best."

"Anton?" She asked, seeing him enter the room. He just smiled as he approached, shaking Keeper's hand, before approaching his protégée. "You're...you came here?"

"I think we should save the catching up until after the show." Anton replied as he gestured to the screen. "Let's see what all our hard work's put together."

Back at the site of the battle, the Rangers continued to fight with Ice Age, who fought with an insane strength, lending a lot of credibility to his assertion that he fully intended to fight until he was destroyed, or everything was. He let out a hellish shriek that chilled the Rangers as he unleashed his ice power, freezing everything in sight while the Rangers tried to keep out of the way.

"This guy's crazy, he's going to destroy everything!" Chase stated as a massive chunk of ice fell off a building, pulling a huge piece of the concrete with it, flattening a car as it landed only a few feet from him. "If he keeps this up, he's going to bring the whole street down on all of our heads!"

Shelby looked over to where Tyler was holding off the giant Vidik with his blaster, while he seemed to be waiting on something.

"Hey Tyler! If you really do have an idea, now would be a pretty good...!"

Just then, the air was split by an almighty roar, that shook the very ground. All of the Rangers looked around.

"OK, what was that?" Riley asked. "What now?"

"He didn't!" Shelby said in horror.

"OK, does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Chase stated.

"The cavalry's just arrived!" Tyler called out as the T-Rex Zord stomped into view, rushing for the giant Vidik, slamming into it. "Go Rexy!"

"Holy shit...is that a Zord?" Riley asked.

"How the hell did Tyler call that thing?" Chase asked. Just then, the T-Rex completely destroyed the giant Vidik, tearing through it with its jaws.

"It very powerful!" Koda commented. Just then, they saw Tyler jump into the T-Rex Zord's mouth, taking up position between its jaws. He pressed his third power cell into his Dino Charger.

"Alright Rexy, let's end the Ice Age!" He yelled as the T-Rex unleashed a massive roar, propelling him towards Ice-Age. Unleashing the full power of his blast, he obliterated Ice Age, leaving nothing but a crater in the ground. He rolled back to his feet, taking his place with his team.

"Monster extinct!" He declared proudly. Chase just sighed and shook his head.

"Please don't tell me that's going to become a thing." He muttered.

"I don't know...I kind of like it." Shelby replied, bouncing excitedly. "You were awesome Tyler!"

"That was...impressive." Koda told him. "You very strong."

"Anyway, it sounds like the Emergency Services should have things under control." Chase said as he heard sirens. "I say it's about time we were making tracks."

With that, the team all took the opportunity to flee the scene, heading back for the Command Centre.

Back at the museum, the team got into the lab, still sparked up from the battle. Once they were a safe distance from the battle and out of sight, they had changed back into civilian mode, before going back to their base. Kendall and Keeper were waiting on them.

"Well, I have to say that went well." Kendall congratulated them. "It was...a little rough in places...but I have to say, you performed admirably. All of you did."

Shelby just kept her mouth shut, seeing Kendall looking her way. She figured that this was the best she was likely to be the closest she would get to a compliment, much less glowing praise.

She looked to Tyler, smiling.

"You took a big chance in attempting to harness the power of the T-Rex Zord, but it was a gamble that paid off." She told him. "Not only does it show great strength to gain that level of trust from your Zord, and it also showed that the technology we've created is up to the task ahead. You should be very proud of how you performed today."

"We all are." Shelby responded, nudging Tyler playfully as they gathered around him. He beamed brightly as they all congratulated him. As they let the moment pass, Chase looked to Kendall a little concerned.

"That monster, it wasn't Fury." He stated. "But there was something about the way he fought...it was like he didn't care if he survived."

"Yeah, there was something really strange about him." Riley agreed. "It wasn't just that he was angry or anything...it almost seemed like he was..."

"Terrified." Kendall told them with a note of gravity in her tone. They all looked to her. It wasn't the first word that came to mind, but the way he was shrieking, and given what he had said...they could feel that she was right about his motivation. He seemed scared, completely terrified, but not of them. It was like there was something else that he feared far more than them, far more than even the thought of his own destruction!

"Yeah, he did...it was like...it was like he was so scared of something that even being destroyed was preferable to facing it." Shelby stated. "Did Fury really scare him that much?"

"Fury's scary, but he's not that scary." Chase answered, looking to Kendall. "It's not Fury is it?"

"No, it isn't." Kendall told them. "Sledge is back."

"Sledge?" Shelby asked. "Who's Sledge?"

"Sledge is Fury's boss." Chase explained.

"He is the one who chased me to this planet 65 million years ago." Keeper told them. "He is a notorious bounty hunter, who will do anything for profit and power. He pursued me across the galaxy for the Energems."

"Keeper tricked Fury into taking a bomb onto Sledge's ship, hoping to destroy him. Instead, he sent his ship to the other side of the galaxy." Kendall told them. "But somehow he's found a way to come back."

"Great, so he's spent the last 65 million years getting back here!" Shelby commented. "I'm sure that's put him in a good mood."

"And if his monsters are that scared of him...he doesn't sound like someone I want to meet." Riley said with a note of panic in his voice.

"Well, no doubt you will meet him eventually." Anton announced as he came back into the lab, carrying a coffee in a take-away cup. He took a casual sip as he approached them. "Nice job today by the way."

"Uh...OK, who is this guy?" Tyler asked. Kendall, Koda and Chase had already met him, and seeing the way Shelby was bouncing excitedly, it was clear she knew who she was. She clutched Tyler's arm tightly, letting out a squeal of delight.

"Guys, this is Anton Mercer." Kendall told them, gesturing to Anton. Tyler and Riley just stared blankly at her. "He owns the museum. He owns...well...pretty much all of this."

"I have to say, you've made good use of my resources here." He complimented Kendall. "I guess it just goes to show what a hundred and fifty million and counting can really do. Chase, it's been a while."

"Hey, it isn't quite the island, but I like it here." Chase told him, shaking Anton's hand. He went to Koda next.

"My home." Koda said, gesturing around the cave. "I like here."

"I'm glad to hear it." He responded, before approaching the first of the three new faces. He extended a hand to Shelby. "And you are?"

"A...An...Anton Mercer!" She managed to babble out, grinning with complete giddiness. Her studies into palaeontology...well...no one could really look into the field and not have heard who Anton was. He just smiled. Her mind was so overcome in a full-blown geek-out meeting one of the true legends of science that her mind found it all but impossible to come out with any kind of intelligible speech.

"Actually...I'm pretty sure that's my name." He teased her. He looked to Kendall.

"She's something of a palaeontology student." Kendall told him. He just smiled.

"Well, it's always nice to meet a fan." He answered, before moving onto Riley. "Now...I know of you. Your accomplishment in your tournament was most impressive."

"You...you know about that?" Riley asked him. He just nodded.

"I've got something of an appreciation for the art." Anton told him. "To accomplish what you did is an exceptional feat. To do so while still so young, and almost completely self-taught, that is simply extraordinary. I have a feeling you will be a fine Ranger."

He then moved onto Tyler. He smiled.

"So, you're Neil's son." He stated, looking him up and down. "I'm honoured to finally meet you."

"You...you knew my dad?" Tyler asked.

"Mostly by reputation, but I did have the honour of meeting him once." Anton told him. He pulled out an old photograph, showing him standing beside his father. Both of them were dressed for a dig. He couldn't help smiling, seeing his father in happier times. He was still a young man in this picture, long before the rest of the world started to believe he was sliding into insanity. "I'm sure your father would be very proud to see the young man you've become."

Anton started to walk away, when he turned back.

"I've made arrangements for all of you to be close to the Command Centre. If this thing is to work, you will need to be nearby and ready at all times." He told them, before holding up a hand. "Which reminds me, Kendall, Riley...there's something we need to take care of."

Riley just looked more than a little confused, but as Kendall gestured to the door, they followed Anton out of the lab. The rest of the Rangers just looked to each other.

"So, what's next?" Tyler asked.

"Hungry." Koda stated bluntly. Chase just shrugged his shoulders.

"You've got to admit, the man has a point." He replied. "What do you say we take advantage of the fact there's a burger bar upstairs?"

As they started to make their way out of the lab, Tyler looked to Shelby, who was still clutching his arm tightly, shaking like a leaf.

"Are...are you alright?" He asked her. Shelby just nodded nervously, but she felt anything but alright. She had stood before one of the giants in the field she so passionately wanted to pursue, and couldn't even tell him her name. She was sure that he had to think she was a complete idiot.


	20. Sledge

Shelby was sitting in the cafe, her face buried in her hands, as her friends discussed their day. Tyler was practically causing the whole booth to shake with his enthusiasm as he bounced excitedly and threw his hands around carelessly while he talked. Chase came back to the table, carrying their order. One of the advantages of working in the museum, particularly in the 'special' side of things was access to pretty much an unlimited supply of free food and drinks. The cafe was actually closed, so there was no danger of anyone hearing them, which was just as well since they doubted Tyler could keep quiet if he wanted to right now!

"The way those things went flying when we hit them? I felt like I could smash mountains!" He exclaimed. "And did you get a load of Rexy? He was all like 'raaaaaawwwwrrrr' and ripped that thing apart like...BOOM!"

He slammed a hand on the table, causing it to shake. Chase and Koda just looked to him.

"Yeah...we get that you're excited mate, but do remember those gems do affect your strength." Chase reminded him. "That booth is set into the ground, and you're still almost ripping it out the floor."

"You're exaggerating." Tyler said with a grin.

"Actually...you are." Koda told him. "Must learn to control strength."

"Remember, not even 4 hours ago you flipped a car thirty feet in the air with your bare hands." Chase continued, putting down the tray once Tyler had pulled back from the table and he was sure the food wasn't going to go flying. Tyler hadn't thought much about the changes to his system since he found the Energem earlier in the day...he hadn't had much of a chance to think about anything. "Things that took a lot of effort before, you can do with about half as much effort now, maybe less."

Tyler reached out for his cup gingerly, trying not to crush it and spill it everywhere. Chase sat down, smiling as Koda reached for a burger. He just smiled.

"It's worth the effort, believe me." He assured the new Rangers. "Koda and I will help you wherever we can, but you should know...I've been bonded to my Energem for over a year. Koda...well...let's just say he's been around for a while. It'll take some getting used to. Of course...there are some fringe benefits."

"Like?" Tyler asked him.

"Well, I'll let Kendall fill you in on all the technical stuff I can never remember the words for, but for starters...neither of you will have a mark on you by the time you go to bed tonight."

"Really?" Tyler asked. "That cave-dive I did earlier...I should be feeling that for days, never mind all the rest of this...I was wondering if I WAS going to get out of bed in the morning!"

"Well...we heal pretty quick now." Chase assured him. "Not, like Wolverine or Barry Allen quick...but pretty quick. Which is just as well...believe me, there'll be plenty of bruises once the real work starts."

"Keeper seemed pretty freaked out about this Sledge guy didn't he?" Tyler asked. "Do you really think he's that tough?"

"Let me put it this way. Keeper ran across the entire galaxy to get away from him." Chase reminded them. "In all the time I've known him, I've never known him to be scared of anything...and the dude had a conversation with a T Rex within minutes of getting to Earth."

The table went quiet for a moment just thinking about that. As excited as they were about the adventure they had just been on, they had a feeling that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Chase looked to Shelby, who was still remarkably quiet.

"Hey, you haven't touched your food." He commented.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered. Chase got a little smirk on his face.

"Would it happen to have anything to do with a certain scientist?" He asked in an arrogant little tone. He'd known Anton for a while, given his time on the island, working with his team to develop his abilities. "Are you...always so articulate?"

"Shut up!" Shelby snapped, unable to hide her embarrassment. She still couldn't believe she had completely frozen up in front of the legend that was Anton Mercer. She had imagined what it would be like to meet him, to talk to him and to make him see her passion for his work. Instead...she couldn't even say her own name. Her brain short-circuited and she was barely able to move. She was just grateful she hadn't thrown up or fainted in front of him, two things that it felt like she might just do.

"Oh come on Shelby, it was adorable seeing you totally nerd out like that." Tyler teased her, nudging her gently and chuckling. "A...a...a...anton!"

"OK...I may have been a little nervous." She answered.

"I was a little nervous when I asked out a girl for the first time." Chase chipped in. "You...I'm just glad the room wasn't empty. God help Anton if we weren't there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shelby asked. Chase just leaned in.

"Hero worship is a powerful thing." He stated. "Do you have a thing for older men?"

With that, Shleby threw her fries at him. Chase got up as he saw Shelby getting out of her chair and started running with the Pink Ranger in hot pursuit.

"You better run!" Shelby called after him. "When I catch you, we're going to find out just how fast you heal!"

Tyler just laughed and shook his head, turning his attention back to his food. He looked to Koda.

"So...what other benefits are there to all this?" He asked. Koda just held up his burger. "Well, I guess I can't argue with that."

Above the Earth, a huge ship made its descent into orbit, the final leg of its journey across the galaxy. It was far from the first time ships had come from beyond the reaches of our solar system, but this one was different. It hadn't come for any form of destruction. It wasn't moving in as part of an invasion. It was a single, massive ship, that came into an orbit, and held position.

Inside, the ship was dark, foreboding, and the very air was thick with misery. Pained and anguished cries echoed throughout the corridors from the many cell blocks. Sledge made his rounds, observing the viviks as they tended to his prisoners.

He was a massive creature, covered in thick, powered armour that gave him an appearance that was almost as terrifying as his reputation. Or...at least the reputation he once had. Sledge had a reputation as the greatest bounty hunter that ever lived. If someone wanted a person found, and they had the means to pay him, Sledge would find them and bring them back. He didn't care who paid his bounties, he worked for criminals, warlords and despots as regularly as he had worked for law enforcement back in the day. All he cared about was, once he took on a contract, he would see it through. It didn't matter how elusive, how powerful or how dangerous his target was, once he took the job, there was only one outcome. The cells filled with his quarry were a testament to that.

The sorrow and hopelessness was palpable in the cell blocks. No one ever escaped from Sledge once he got them onto his ship. He prided himself on always bringing his prey in alive for his employer to deal with as they saw fit. The secret to this was the same as the secret of how he had survived adrift in space for all this time. His bounties sometimes took years to fulfil, and so his ship incorporated a kind of stasis technology.

While it didn't stop him, or indeed anyone in his ship from functioning, so that they could work, it existed in a state where time was meaningless. No one aged aboard his ship. His cell blocks were kept in a strict quarantine to prevent disease from spreading. He ensured that his victims would be in decent condition when he turned them in. This created the hopelessness in his victims. Once Sledge had them, they would never escape, not even through sickness or aging...even death would not release them. Those on his ship now had been there for millions of years. Now, those that had hired Sledge, most of them were probably long since dead, and yet Sledge hadn't just released them. Those in his custody were there forever and they knew it.

As he watched the viviks going around, providing the prisoners with their meals, Poisandra came up behind him, putting her arm around him.

"Sledgeums, I was looking all over for you!" She said as she stared to stroke his hulking form. "You just stormed out of the bridge after..."

"I can't believe Ice Age failed me." He grumbled. "He was worth a fortune! His reputation as a killer was legendary! I suppose his reputation was all just bluster!"

"Sledgeums..."

"Still, I suppose it isn't all bad." He responded in a grumble. "I only sent that flash-frozen idiot because we weren't close enough to risk sending more than a single pod down. Now, I can exert all the resources at my disposal to recover the Energems."

"Oh poo to the Energems." She replied with a pout. "That's all I've heard for the last 65 million years. Energems this, Keeper cost me...blah, blah, blah! When are we finally going to talk about getting married?"

Sledge looked to her, and beneath his helmet he smiled. He had found Poisandra on one of his jobs millions of years ago on a distant planet. He observed her as he hunted another member of her species who had committed atrocities across several solar systems. Poisandra was everything he wasn't. She was bright, colourful and cheerful. She was also insanely powerful. Her people were capable of wielding powers that could bring down whole war ships with little effort. Indeed, she had managed to disable Keeper's ship by SINGING at it! She was also, as he well knew, completely insane.

Her species was known for having a very loose, close to non-existent relationship with sanity, the power in their forms seemed to warp their minds, their very perception of reality. Even among her own kind though, Poisandra was disturbed. The only thing that seemed to have any effect on her on any level, that captured her attention for more than a fleeting moment, was her concept of love and infatuation. She had been obsessed with another of her kind when Sledge found her, but seeing his power as he finally managed to bring down her former partner, she had grown infatuated, obsessed with him. She had fallen deeply, madly in love with him.

At first, the notion had disturbed Sledge, but he had seen first-hand her power. It occurred to him that having her on his crew he could use her as a useful weapon, and her insanity, her love for him was just a useful, simple way of controlling her and utilising her as a weapon. Over time however, things started to change. The ship didn't seem as gloomy, and his days didn't seem as dark with her around. Eventually, he had grown to love her in return. He had proposed to her on a distant world as a city burned to the ground around them after claiming another bounty. It stood as one of his fondest memories.

"Poisandra my sweet, I promised you, we will get married once we complete this job." He assured her.

"Where have I heard THAT before?" She said with a pout. "Oh, just after this bounty, just after I get these asteroids, just after we get these Energems..."

"This time, I promise you, upon everything I hold dear, on this ship, on my life, on the proceeds of every bounty we ever collect from this point on...once we have the Energems, I will have the power to make us invincible!"

Seeing that she still wasn't convinced, he held her closely.

"I'll even let you choose which one of them you want made into a wedding ring." He promised her. She just giggled and shrunk into his arms.

"Oh Sledegums, that is the sweetest thing!" She stated. "So, when will we get them?"

"Five have been found, we will have to take them from these Rangers. The others we will have to find." Sledge told her, before looking to the cell block. "It's just as well we have plenty of willing helpers."

Meanwhile, Riley was sitting in the back of a limo with Anton and Kendall, directing them. While they knew roughly where Riley lived, once they got into the country, the concept of roads was more than a little theoretical. When Riley had pointed out the last turn, it had been more than a mile since there had been anything remotely resembling tarmac on the road surface.

"Here it is, just up ahead." Riley told him, pointing up to the house. As they pulled up, Matt was in the yard, kneeling on the ground, working on the family tractor. He had opened it up, and most of the engine was lying in pieces on the ground around him. The tractor was on its last legs, the family already knew that much, but Matt was doing all he could to keep it going as long as he possibly could. Seeing the limo pull up, he stood up and started to make his way over. His mom, Mrs Griffin came out of the house at the sight of the new arrival as well. Seeing a limo out here was kind of like finding a camel in the middle of Antarctica.

Anton got out of the car, taking a look around, holding the door for Riley as he stepped out as well. Kendall opened the other door, stepping out. As she did, there was a squeltch, and she slipped, quickly ending up on her butt on the ground. She looked to her boot, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she saw what she had stepped in.

"Shit." She muttered.

"Well, yes, it is." Matt said as he got to her, offering her a hand to get to her feet. "Sorry, there's kind of a lot of it out here. We clean up most of it, but occasionally...well, we miss one."

Kendall looked up at the man standing over her, wordlessly accepting his hand. He effortlessly pulled her back to her feet, helping her steady herself.

"Riley?" Mrs Griffin asked. "Where have you been? Who are these...?"

"Your son had some mechanical trouble with his scooter. We decided to offer him a lift home." Anton told her, being somewhat loose and light with the truth. It was true his scooter broke down; they just hadn't told her that he had broken down before getting to the museum. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Anton Mercer; this is my colleague Kendall Morgan, the current general manager of Amber Beach museum."

"Kendall huh?" Matt asked, looking to her. "Nice name."

She didn't answer, just kind of smiling a little.

"Wait...Anton Mercer?" Matt asked. "THE Anton Mercer?"

Even out here, his name was known. One of the areas Anton's companies researched into was agriculture, and attempting to create better, more efficient methods of creating produce. While there was nothing like that in the area, they had at least heard the name since a lot of the local manufacturers of fertilizers and seeds saw him as competition.

"Well, thank you for bringing him home." Mrs Griffin answered, gesturing to Riley to come to her. "We'll collect the scooter..."

"I actually had a few things I wanted to discuss with you." He told her. "Would it be alright if we came inside?"

"Well...we're pretty busy right now." Mrs Griffin said hesitantly. "There's a lot to do after dinner and Riley..."

"It actually has a lot to do with Riley." Anton told her. "I promise you it will be worth your time. All I'm asking is a few minutes, maybe an hour of your time."

"You always make far too much food anyway." Riley interjected. "Maybe we can talk over dinner! Then they wouldn't be taking any time we don't normally take."

"I wouldn't like to impose..."

"Its fine, Riley's right." Matt interrupted, seeing the excitement in his brother. He had no idea what they wanted, but seeing his brother so happy, he got a feeling that it was worth at least hearing them out. "You always make way too much. There'll be plenty."

"Its rabbit stew." She said, knowing that when her boys ganged up on her, she was always going to lose. "I hope none of you are vegetarian. Oh, and please, leave your shoes by the door please Ms Morgan." Kendall just nodded, starting to remove her boots, understanding that Riley's mom probably didn't want her to trail animal dung all over her house.

"That would be lovely; I haven't had rabbit in years." Anton stated as she gestured them all inside. He paused for a moment, before turning to the driver who was standing by the limo. "We'll be back after dinner. You have some time until then."

As they all went inside, Kendall depositing her boots at the door, the limo driver took off his jacket, folding it neatly and putting it into the car, before unbuttoning her cuffs and rolling up his sleeves.


	21. A Very Trying Day

Mrs Griffin hung up Kendall's jacket near the fire to dry it out as Matt returned to the room, carrying a couple of bottles of Bud. He offered them to their guests. Mrs Griffin headed back into the kitchen to check on the stew.

"We weren't expecting guests, so it's just my stash I'm afraid." He said as he offered a bottle to Kendall. Anton saw her looking a little uncomfortable, and took the bottle.

"That's very generous, thank you." He stated with a smile, opening the bottle. It wasn't exactly his usual tipple, but he was more than happy with the gesture. He took a long sip. "It's an impressive piece of land you have here."

"We get by." Matt answered, looking to Riley. "It's kept us fed and clothed all our lives. We're the fifth generation of Griffins to own it."

"It's really nice out here." Kendall managed to say, taking a bottle now that Anton had indicated it was alright.

"I think so." Matt stated, opening his own bottle. Mrs Griffin came in, gesturing them all to the other room.

"Dinner's ready." She told them. They all filed in, taking seats at the table. Anton smiled, seeing the food arranged before them.

"I have to admit, all of this smells wonderful." He said as he looked to a loaf. "I can smell this...you made this fresh?"

"Mom makes the most amazing bread." Riley told him as she started to ladle out portions onto plates for them. She had been pretty quiet so far, she obviously wasn't expecting company. Anton took a huge chunk of bread, dipping it into his stew and took a large bite. His smile spread across his face.

"I must say Mrs Griffin, it's been a long time since I've had a meal like this." He admitted. "I have my own culinary staff on the island, but it's always nice to have a home cooked meal."

"Thank you Dr Mercer." She replied.

"Please, call me Anton." He said in response.

"Anton, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked. Kendall kept quiet, just carrying on with her meal. She knew that they had to somehow convince Riley's mom to let him move into the city. It wasn't like the farm was far out of the city, but it would certainly complicate things if they needed to wait for one of their Rangers to make an hour's round trip. Of course, she really had no idea how Anton planned to try and talk Mrs Griffin into letting her 16 year old son move into the city without explaining what he was going to be doing. "You said it is about Riley."

"Well, yes it is. Your son is an exceptional young man. His athletic and academic accomplishments are incredibly impressive."

"Yeah, he's something special alright." Matt agreed, ruffling his brother's hair playfully. Riley just swatted him away. Mrs Griffin didn't seem as happy though. She just sighed.

"So, what exactly is it you want from us?" She asked him. Anton leaned forward a little.

"I have a number of programs, scholarships, all designed to help nurture the talents of young people with exceptional potential." He told her, putting a hand on Kendall's shoulder. She gulped down a mouthful of stew as the attention on the room suddenly focused on her. "Ms Morgan was the recipient of one of those grants."

Kendall just nodded wordlessly, not knowing where he was going with this. It was true, Anton had found her in college, and saw her work was leaps and bounds beyond most of her colleagues. He had taken her under his wing, and he had helped fund her education. She had now worked with him for almost six years.

"What does this have to do with Riley?" Mrs Griffin asked him. Anton just smiled.

"So far, my programmes have concentrated on colleges and universities, but I'm a huge believer in the fact that the earlier talent is encouraged the better. I'm looking to extend my programmes to high school students." He explained. "I was hoping you would allow Riley to be the first."

"You want to take my son to your island?" She asked. He just held up his hands.

"No, no nothing like that. I would never ask to take him so far." He assured her. "I was planning on setting up a programme for him in conjunction with Ms Morgan here. He would be given private tuition by the finest tutors at my disposal."

"So...you're going to send these tutors here?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I'm afraid not." He told her. "It will require him moving, not too far, only into the city. I was thinking he could work with Ms Morgan at the museum. He will get the best education I can offer, some practical experience...and a few dollars in his pocket into the bargain."

"I'm...I'm not sure." She responded. "It's so far away."

"You will be able to visit him whenever you wished. It's only a half hour drive." Anton reminded her. "And I promise you, he'll be well taken care of."

"I can vouch for that." Kendall told her, finally able to find her voice. "I've been working for Anton for six years now. I've seen and done things I'd never have had the opportunity to do because of him."

"I believe in good investments." Anton told her. "Riley tells me he currently averages a 3.5 GPA. I am confident we could have it up to 3.8 before the end of the current term."

Mrs Griffin looked more than a little conflicted by this. Anton could tell that she knew that what he was offering was a huge opportunity for Riley, but at the same time, it would mean he would have to move away. She was used to seeing him every day. It was obviously troubling her trying to imagine letting him leave.

"Mom, this is an amazing opportunity." Riley told her, looking to her warmly. "I know I'll miss you all like crazy, but...just imagine what this could do for me."

"Riley, you're 16 years old!" She put down flatly.

"Exactly mom, it's not like he's going to stay here forever." Matt told her. "In a couple of years, he'd probably have been going off to college or something. If he does this...he could probably get into any college he wants."

"He's 16!" She reiterated.

"Mom, we all knew this wasn't where he was going to end up. He's never been comfortable on the farm...when he first tried to shear the sheep they sent him running away in tears for God's sake!"

Anton and Kendall both looked to Riley.

"I was 9!" He protested. "Sheep are scary when they're worked up!"

"This is an amazing opportunity for him. Just...look at Ms Morgan." Matt continued. Kendall looked up, wondering what exactly he was going to have to say. He didn't actually know her, he'd only met her a short time before. "She took one of the scholarships and she still works for him now! She's running a whole museum and...she's about my age! His programs are obviously good!"

Mrs Griffin sat back, thinking things over.

"Well...it's not a good time for him to leave." She stated. "Harvest season will be coming up soon, and we'll need..."

"If you need help here, I think I could help out." Anton stated. Matt looked to him, his face indicating that he wasn't happy about something.

"We don't take hand-outs!" He stated flatly. He was a proud man, and as much as he knew they could do with the help, he was determined that they would make it on their own. His family had always made their own way.

"I wasn't suggesting that, not at all." Anton assured him. "You are aware that I do a lot of work with agriculture. Fast growing crops, climate resistant produce and the like."

"We have heard." Matt answered.

"Well...there's only so much we can do in a lab, and the organic produce movement has made it difficult to get hold of top quality land. We're looking for places to try some of our experimental crops in a real-world environment." Anton told them. "I'd be willing to lease a portion of your land. A couple of acres or so, nothing you'd really miss I assure you. I'd send in a team to cordon it off and keep it separated from your own produce to avoid any contamination; I'd even have some of my employees work the land...and help out on your own land too. I'd pay for everything of course."

"Why...why would you do that?" Matt asked him.

"It's like I said, I need somewhere I can try my produce in a real-world environment." He reiterated. "I've had a few people turn me down, and I thought...perhaps you'd like to consider it."

Matt and his mom looked at each other. He was talking about laying down a considerable amount of money, an investment that would greatly benefit them and help them cover for Riley's absence. Matt also knew that the money would go a long way to keeping the wolves from the door.

"I understand asking to allow your son to move away is a lot to ask." He continued. "This arrangement...I believe it will benefit both of us."

"Mom, please, I really think this could be good for me." Riley told her. "I love you, but...I really want to do this."

"I can see you have some things to discuss. We'll leave you to it." Anton said as he finished his meal, pushing his plate away from him. "That was truly amazing Mrs Griffin. Thank you for your hospitality."

Kendall got up, and started to go with him. She got outside, starting to put on her boots, retrieving them from where she had left them thanks to the dung incident. She felt something wrap around her, and turned to look, seeing Matt putting her jacket on.

"You almost forgot this." He stated. Kendall just smiled, saying nothing. Matt then looked up, seeing Anton's driver by the tractor, working on the engine. "HEY! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Just as he said this, the driver started up the engine, which roared into life. Matt just stared at it in amazement.

"How...how did you do that?" Matt asked him. "I've been working on that for hours!"

"It's a patch-job, but it should hold out a few months or so." The driver told him. "But it's pretty clear this thing's on its last legs."

"My man here is a pretty decent mechanic." Anton stated as he handed the driver a tissue to clean up his hands as much as possible. "Consider this a thank you for dinner."

With that, they got in, pulling away to leave the Griffin family to their discussions. Kendall just looked to Anton as he settled into his seat.

"Anton, we need..."

"They need time to discuss matters. It is no small request to ask a mother to part from her 16 year old son." He told her. "When Trent was that age, I didn't even like it when he was in the hotel while I was at a dig."

"But we left him there!" Kendall stated. "He's bonded to the Green Energem, we need him! What if his mom..."

"I am confident Mrs Griffin will see I have provided an excellent opportunity for her son." Anton told her.

"But Anton, he's...he's still there!" Kendall reiterated. "He's not coming with us!"

"I am sure that he will rejoin us soon enough." Anton answered. "And who knows, when he does join us, it might mean that his brother will come by every now and then."

"Why would that...?" Her words tailed off as she saw Anton's wicked grin. "You can't be..."

"You turned the same shade of pink as your aunt Kendrix's suit when you saw him." Anton teased her. "I can't say I blame you, he is a good looking man...and around your age if I remember rightly."

"You can't be serious!" Kendall rushed out. "I've...I've got my work and..."

Anton didn't even attempt to make his case, instead taking a bottle of mineral water out of the mini fridge in the back. Kendall just crossed her arms and shook her head defiantly as he gave her a knowing smirk. She hated when he did that.

Back at the museum, Chase twisted some toilet roll, pushing it up his nostril. Tyler stood in the doorway smiling.

"I guess you'll think twice about teasing Shelby in future." Tyler greeted him. Chase just nodded.

"I should probably have waited until she figured out her new strength." Chase grumbled. "She might be small, but that girl hits pretty hard."

"I guess it's just as well you heal fast then isn't it?" Tyler answered. "For what it's worth, she did say sorry about breaking your nose before she got her cab home."

"So she's heading home?" Chase asked. Tyler approached him.

"Yeah, she said something about not wanting to take a lift from you." Tyler replied. "She actually said something to the effect of...she actually wants to survive the journey home."

"Well, I guess that just leaves us to head back to the apartment block." Chase told him. He held up a key. "You and I are rooming. Hope you don't mind."

"Hey, I've lived out of my jeep for months, an apartment sounds great!" Tyler said as they headed out of the museum. He saw Koda putting chairs up on the tables. "Shouldn't we wait on Koda?"

"Trust me; it's not a problem mate." Chase answered, leading Tyler out of the museum. Tyler just shrugged, assuming that Koda lived somewhere nearby. He followed Chase out into the parking lot, and saw the lights flashing on a jeep...a frighteningly familiar jeep! His heart sank as he saw a distinctive key score down the side of the jeep.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to get this thing re-sprayed." Chase told him. "Some arsehole keyed the bloody jeep. I only wish I knew who it was so I could tear him a new arse."

"Yeah...I can imagine." Tyler replied a little uncomfortably. "I'll follow you."

With that, he hit the key fob to his own jeep, and the headlights flashed. Seeing this, Chase recognised it.

"Wait...the red jeep...I almost hit you a few days ago!" Chase stated. Tyler felt his chest tighten, seeing the way Chase was looking at him. The Black Ranger approached him, before letting out a sigh. "I'm totally sorry man, I wasn't paying attention. I hope everything was alright."

"Uh...I kinda ended up in the brush." Tyler admitted, breathing something of a sigh of relief. "It needed a good wash, but it is built for off-road. It was alright."

"Well, I still feel bad, here." Chase answered, pulling out ten bucks. "It's for the car wash."

"That's alright I..."

"Please, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't make amends." Tyler took the money, forcing a smile as he put it away. It seemed that Chase hadn't figured out he was the one that keyed his car. Knowing that they now had to work together on a team, he figured it was best he keep this secret to himself.

"So, lead the way roomie." Tyler said as he swung himself into his jeep, starting up the engine.

Meanwhile, Anton's limo arrived at the apartment block, pulling into the parking lot. Anton got out of the car with Kendall, who just looked to him.

"I am confident your team will be whole soon enough." He told her. "Just like I am certain that you underestimate your own team. You can't take on the responsibility of the world by yourself."

"It just...it just feels like I should, like it's what's expected of me." Kendall told him. Anton came around the car, standing by her, cradling her cheek with his hand.

"I know all about your aunt, and the legacy she left behind." He told her. "I have mentored many great names, including Dr Tommy Oliver...and you are without a doubt, the most promising, brilliant person I have ever had the pleasure of coming across."

"The Energem didn't think so." She grumbled. Anton just smiled.

"I find that those that seek power are rarely the ones who should have it." Anton assured her. "I have no doubts about you. If I did, I would never have entrusted you with this mission. If you are destined to gain such power, it will come to you. Do not seek it. In my experience, it never ends well."

"Anton!" She called out as he headed for the limo. He just looked back to her. "Why did you choose me?"

"I already told..."

"You're infinitely more qualified than I am!" She interrupted him. "I've screwed up so many times...others have been hurt because of me...why did you choose me?"

He came across, once again cradling her cheek, and kissed her forehead softly.

"I trust you implicitly." He reiterated. "It was myself I didn't trust."

"I...I don't..."

"You know what happened to me before. I have never lied to you about that." Anton told her. "Like I said, those that seek power are rarely the ones that should have it. The fact you punish yourself so harshly for your mistakes is one of the reasons I know you will handle this power responsibly."

He started to head back to the car when he held up a hand.

"Oh, and you might want to reconsider your opinion of Shelby." He told her.

"Shelby?" Kendall asked. "But she...she's..."

"She is a bright and enthusiastic person with almost limitless potential if she is properly treated." Anton told her. "Ambition is one thing, but ambition without opportunity is as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle. The best of us, even those like me who consider themselves self-made have a moment where someone gave us the chance to show what we can do. I personally owe my career to a man I once knew by the name of Neil Nevarro."

"Neil..Neil Nevarro?" She asked. He just smiled.

"Oh, but for the record...I have a feeling that Shelby might be the kind of person who's at her best when people DON'T believe in her. I have a feeling she's the kind of person that likes to shove her accomplishments in the face of those that tell her she can't do something." Anton told her. "Don't make it too easy for her."

With that, he got in the car, and it pulled away, heading for the airport to take him back to the island. Chase and Tyler arrived at that point, parking up, seeing Kendall in the parking lot. Chase came to her side.

"So...Anton's not hanging around?" He asked.

"It doesn't appear so." Kendall answered.

"Well, I for one am bushed, this has been one hell of a day." Tyler replied. "As much as I'd love to catch up on this...I just want a shower and a nice comfy bed."

With that, they all headed inside to put an end to what they could all admit had been a very trying day.


	22. Sledge's Next Move

The following morning, Chase was woken up by some strange sounds coming from his living room. He got up, planning to investigate. He lived alone, and while Kendall could be a little invasive, he doubted she'd just let himself into the apartment. As he got to the door though, he finally remembered. Tyler had been given another room in the apartment. As he breathed a sigh of relief, realising he didn't have to start his morning by chasing off a burglar, he made his way into the other room.

When he got there, he found Tyler...well...he guessed working out was the best way he could describe it. He wasn't using any weights or equipment or anything, unless he could count the furniture as equipment. It was kind of like a bizarre contrast between floor gymnastics, yoga, and contortion. He spent most of his time working, using his own bodyweight as a weight. Right now, he was in a handstand, performing vertical push-ups!

"Someone got an early start." Chase commented, seeing him. "This is...uh...an interesting workout."

"Thanks." Tyler said with a smile. "I spent a while with a circus troupe. I find their workouts were great exercise for all the exploring and cave-diving I've been doing."

He let himself down, rolling back to his feet, before looking to Chase.

"I could always show you if you like." He offered.

"Thanks, but I...kind of like to remain the right way up for my work outs." Chase told him as he went to the counter to put on the coffee machine. "This is the way I start my morning."

"Well...can I make a recommendation?" Tyler asked. "You uh...might want to change up the order of that a little. Like...at least until you put on some pants?"

Chase looked down, realising he was standing in his boxer shorts. He just held up a hand.

"Right...not living alone anymore, got you." He replied as he pointed to his bedroom door. "I'm just going to shower and get dressed. Then...I guess we can talk about some guidelines for acceptable roommate behaviour?"

"That might be an idea." Tyler chuckled as Chase went into his room. As Chase left, he heard a cell phone ringing. He knew it wasn't his, and figured it had to be Chase's. He picked up the phone.

"You've got Chase's phone." Tyler answered.

"Hi, it's Chuck at the garage. I just called to say I had a cancellation and the paint just arrived, so I can fit your jeep in this afternoon for its re-spray." He told him.

"Oh...well that's good news." Tyler stated, getting a pad and a pen. "So...uh...can you give me a rough estimate for the re-spray?"

"Well...the thing is, it's going to be a lot of work, and the time isn't exactly cheap. Not to mention the finish." He stated, running through some notes. "Since it is kind of a job for the museum, I can treat it as one of their jobs for the rate...but it's going to be about 1500 dollars."

"WHAT?" Tyler called out, completely taken aback. "For a scratch?"

"If you want it back to normal, if you want the colour to be consistent and the finish to be good, it's going to have to be a full spray job." The mechanic explained. "Even if all you wanted is a patch job, the scratch is almost the full length of the side. It'd be at least a couple of hundred."

Tyler just looked to the door of Chase's room and sighed. He had to admit that it felt good to get a measure of revenge for ending up in a ditch, now he was starting to regret it. He didn't know what Chase got paid at the museum, but he doubted it would be a huge salary. Knowing now what it would cost to repair the damage, he was beginning to regret his actions. It made him a little ill to think of putting him out so much.

Chase didn't yet know that Tyler had caused the damage, but he did know he had caused the near-miss on the highway. Tyler was surprised that he had acknowledged his fault on the road, and had even insisted he pay for the car wash he needed after ending up skidding through the undergrowth. He sincerely doubted he would be quite so happy if he knew about Tyler's part in the incident. He'd probably be more likely to expect a punch than ten bucks for a car wash if he knew.

"Alright, go ahead and book it in." Tyler told him. "You can pick it up at the museum at lunch time."

With that, Chase came out of his room, pulling on his ball cap and twisting it backwards.

"So...who was that?" Chase asked.

"Sorry, your phone was ringing. It was the garage." Tyler told him, handing him the note he had written. "They have an appointment this afternoon. They'll pick up your jeep from the museum at lunch time."

"Yeah...that's a bill I'm not looking forward to." Chase grumbled. "So what's the damage?"

Tyler couldn't bring himself to say it, the guilt eating at him. He just handed Chase the note, at which he just whistled.

"Ouch." He muttered. "I know Shelby broke my nose last night, but THIS hurts."

"Look...I have some money." Tyler told him. "I could help out..."

"Nah, don't be silly mate, this isn't your problem." He said, waving him off.

"Well...we're a team right?" Tyler asked. Ideally he would convince Chase to let him pay for the damage he had caused, but he couldn't think of any way to do so without telling him how it happened. He hoped it would salve his conscience a little if he could at least pay a share of it. "Your problems are our problems. I could at least pay a share."

"Nah, its fine." Chase told him. "I guess it just means I'll be making a few cut backs for a while."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door.

"Hey guys, it's time we were heading to the museum." Kendall called through the door. "We have a lot of work to do."

"I guess it's just as well I borrowed these from the museum." Chase said, pulling some take-away cups out of the cupboard, pouring them each some coffee. "Milk, sugar?"

"Thanks." Tyler replied. Chase handed him his coffee, at which they both headed to the door. Tyler still felt guilty, but he knew there was nothing he could really do about it right now. For now, he needed to get to the museum, and try to find a way to work with the others without risking alienating Chase. The last thing he needed was to end up on the wrong side of the Hot Shot!

Matt pulled into the parking lot of the museum, with Riley in the seat next to him. There weren't many people there at this time, the museum wouldn't be open for a couple of hours yet, and so it was just cleaners and a few staff preparing for opening.

As he looked to his little brother, he smiled. Although he was sad to think that he wouldn't see him every day, he was genuinely happy that their mother had been convinced to give Anton's offer a trial run. He had promised he could get Riley's GPA up to a 3.8 by the summer break, and so that was the deal she had made. If Anton was as good as his word, and Riley's grades hit the expected mark, then she would consider allowing him to sign up for the senior year as well.

"Well, we're here." Matt announced. Riley just nodded, getting out of the car. Matt got out the other side, helping him with his bags. They had packed enough of his clothing to last for a few months, thinking that they could always send more if he needed them.

Riley had also packed a little of his training gear. Although his scholarship was mainly academic, Anton had mentioned his fencing, and he didn't want to let his training slide if he could help it. Matt looked to him as he stood, waiting on Kendall and the others.

"Well, I guess I can see why you were so eager to see this place, it looks pretty impressive." Matt stated. "I might just see about swinging out here for a visit some time."

"You better." Riley told him. "I'm going to miss you all like crazy."

"I'm sure within a few weeks; you'll be far too busy to even remember the old place." Matt said as he hugged him tightly. "Now, you pay attention and learn everything you can. Listen to whatever Ms Morgan tells you to do, and...well, just have fun with all this big city living."

"I'm not exactly sure Amber Beach can be called a big city." He heard someone say. He turned to see three people arriving. He recognised Kendall from the previous night, as for the others...he presumed they were her co-workers. Chase approached them. "So, I'm guessing you're Riley's big brother!"

"Matt." He introduced himself, shaking Chase's hand.

"Chase, and this is Tyler." He introduced them. Kendall smiled as she came up to him.

"So your mom decided to let Riley come?" She asked. Matt just smiled.

"Well, we all figured that it sounded like a pretty good deal." Matt told her. "I mean, you took one of his grants, and it looks like you turned out pretty well."

Kendall just continued smiling, hearing him say this. She turned her attention back to Riley.

"Um...we'll just take your stuff inside for now. You'll be rooming with Chase and Tyler, we'll show you the apartment later."

Chase and Tyler just looked to each other, and then to him. Kendall just sighed.

"There's plenty of room, you'll manage." She told them. "Is your mom here too?"

"Mom had some stuff to do at the farm." Matt told her. He turned to Riley, hugging him one last time. He smiled.

"Take care of yourself little brother." Matt told him. Kendall looked to him with a bright smile as she guided Riley towards the door.

"Don't worry, I...uh...WE'LL take really good care of him." She assured him.

"I'm sure you will." He answered, heading back to his vehicle. Riley watched him go, and felt a little sinking feeling. It wasn't as though he'd ever been away from home; he'd gone on holidays with the family on a few occasions. Once or twice, he and his brother had even stayed overnight when they had to make long deliveries, but he had always gone with either his brother or his mom, this was the first time that he would ever be without his family. Kendall had finished unlocking when Chase roused his attention, grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Alright kid, I guess now you're officially part of the team." He declared as he led him inside. "Come on, now Kendall's going to explain how we're going to move on from here."

Up on his ship, Sledge was sitting on his throne when a pod arrived, bringing Fury with it. He had been a little surprised to hear that Fury was still alive. He wasn't overly surprised that he had survived the landing on Earth, or even the asteroid shower caused by the bomb shaking loose his valuable collection into Earth's atmosphere. Fury had survived much worse. What had surprised him was the fact he had survived the ravages of time. While Fury's kind were known to live long lives, thousands of years was unheard of, never mind millions! As Fury stepped out of the pod, looking almost exactly as he had on the day they met, he wondered how, without his ship's stasis technology, he survived when by all rights he should be a fossil, on display in some museum.

Fury had at one time been a business rival of Sledge's. They had both been after the same contract and had come into conflict. The battle had been fierce, and had destroyed almost an entire city, as well as Fury's ship and most of Sledge's before they realised that their target had gotten away in the confusion. They had agreed to form a temporary truce to repair Sledge's ship and bring in the contract together rather than sit and rot on some strange world while their target got further away or worse...was picked up by someone else! That temporary truce had slowly evolved into a business partnership once Fury had demonstrated that it wasn't only live fugitives that people were willing to pay a bounty for!

"I see you've used your time and my resources productively." Sledge said coldly. Fury could detect the insincerity in his voice. He knew he wouldn't be happy about the fact that by the time he returned...IF he returned, that Fury still hadn't managed to locate the Energems. Fury had to admit, he had believed that Sledge and his ship had been destroyed all those years ago. He hadn't heard anything from Sledge until his communicator burst into life a few centuries ago. Now that he was back, it seemed his old partner was just as pleasant as ever.

"I see you have too." Fury replied, looking around. The ship looked exactly the same. It was just like Sledge not to stop to upgrade or re-fit his ship. His focused, obsessive nature would drive him to return to the hunt as soon as his ship was capable of moving again, never mind back to full function.

"Keeper's bomb crippled my ship far from the shipping lanes." Sledge informed him. "What's your excuse?"

"Excuse?" Fury asked.

"You've been here 65 million years, and you haven't gathered a SINGLE ENERGEM?" Sledge roared angrily. Fury had not forgotten Sledge's temper. It easily rivalled his.

"Not even ONE?" Poisandra gasped as she stepped into view around his throne. "Dreadful!"

"Keeper gave them to dinosaurs for protection!" Fury responded angrily.

"KEEPER!" Sledge answered, his rage bringing him out of his throne. All of this was down to Keeper. He had been adrift in deep space for millions of years, his ship crippled and unable to move as a result of his bomb. They weren't on shipping lanes, they were far from travelled routes, meaning there weren't even other ships they could hail for help to acquire the parts they needed for basic repairs to their propulsion system. Keeper was the reason Fury had been stranded on this planet for millions of years with no way to leave. Both of them loathed the guardian of the Energems with a passion. "That little cretin that crippled my ship? You haven't gotten him either?"

"I too was crippled for some time. The asteroids almost obliterated me!" Fury told him. "By the time I recovered from my injuries, the world was very different. The dinosaurs were gone, and man's early ancestors walked the Earth. Keeper was nowhere to be found."

"You're about as useful as space trash Fury!" He growled as he headed off to his cell block. Fury just growled as he followed him on his rounds. "Quiet all of you! Keep it down or you won't be fed tonight!"

As he continued to walk, Fury noticed something out the corner of his eye. There was a set of bars, ones that looked like they had been chewed, gouged at by mechanical tools. It wasn't recent either. It looked like one of the inmates had been desperately trying to get out for millions of years! He had to commend the effort; it wasn't as though they had anything but time. But as he saw a set of claws tightening around them, he noticed something he would never have anticipated. The bars started to buckle. He didn't let on that he had seen it, continuing to follow Sledge and pretending to listen to his dressing-down, but listening out for it. As soon as he heard a noise in the hall...he turned, seeing the claw swinging down the rafters, and fired, sending it spinning to the floor. Sledge turned, preparing his blasters, and saw the creature hit the floor, where he returned to his true size and form, disabled by Fury's blast.

"What do you know Sledge, one of these creatures finally escaped!" Fury taunted him. "I suppose with enough time and desperation, it was only a matter of time until one of them figured out a way."

Sledge saw something different though. It was true this creature had escaped his cell, but he didn't just see someone defying him. It took patience, it took will, it took determination...all of which seemed to be very useful traits.

"Scrapper...you want to escape do you?" Sledge asked him.

"Uh...no." Scrapper lied unconvincingly. EVERYONE wanted to escape. Of course talking about it was not a good idea. He was terrified of the punishment that would await him when Sledge put him back in a cell. He didn't want to anger him further. Sledge knelt down over him, drawing him in close.

"I have an offer for you. A job if you will." Sledge told him. "If you complete it, I will personally chauffeur you to any galaxy you want. Fail me or try to run...and I'll put you in solitary. You will never see light, or hear another voice again!"

Scrapper didn't respond with words, knowing that Sledge would never make an idle threat. He just nodded frantically before even hearing what the job was.


	23. Perks and Pitfalls

Back at the Museum, Shelby arrived with something of a skip in her step, and a smile on her face that just wouldn't disappear, no matter what happened. Even the guy that walked into her in the street and subjected her to a foul-mouthed rant couldn't ruin her mood.

True to their word, despite the battle the day before, Shelby had woken up without a mark on her. She felt better than she had in...well...she couldn't actually remember how long! More than that though, she actually looked forward to coming into work. That was the best part of it all. It hadn't worked out how she expected, but stowing away on the truck had turned out to be the best decision she'd made.

They didn't know a lot about the mission ahead, but they knew that they still needed to find five more Energems, and since they were buried...that meant a lot of digging! It wasn't the way she planned, but now, she was confident that Ms Morgan didn't have a choice. She was on a dig team! No more flipping burgers, no more rude customers, no more stinking of cooking oil and vinegar...she was on a dig team!

As she arrived, she narrowly missed being hit by a tennis ball. Riley had set up a machine to fire balls at him, and was knocking them out of the air with his Dino Sabre. Chase was singing...BADLY...while he did...something with his skateboard. Shelby really didn't care; nothing could ruin her mood as she allowed her Energem to fly into its housing on the wall.

"Oh...careful!" She said as she passed Riley, before approaching Chase. "Good morning!"

"Wow, don't you look sharp." Chase said as he saw her. "You're a little overdressed for work aren't you?"

"I wanted to make an impression on my first day in my new job." She stated. "You have no idea what a relief it is to FINALLY come into work and not have to look..."

Her words tailed off as Tyler arrived, dressed in a Dino Bite Cafe uniform. He was beaming brightly as he approached, straightening out his cap. She got a bit of a sinking feeling as she saw this.

"Like...that." She said, staring at him.

"Isn't it great? I get to be a bus boy at the cafe!" Tyler declared, with no hint of irony or sarcasm in his voice at all! Shelby couldn't help continuing to stare at him. "What do you think? It looks great right?"

"Uh..." Shelby couldn't find a way to answer, just staring at him. She had to admit, she hadn't seen the uniform looking so good. The t-shirt was a little tight, something she was sure was deliberate on Kendall's part...and that she didn't object to at all. "Um..."

"Shelby, you're late." Kendall said as she arrived. She furrowed her brows. "You're a little overdressed for work aren't you?"

Shelby's sinking feeling hearing this. No...she wasn't serious...was she?

"Please Chase; this is a sterile work area, not a garage!" Kendall reprimanded the Black Ranger, handing him his skateboard. "There are plenty of rocks you can use; do you really need to compromise my sterile equipment?"

"Uh..Ms Morgan? Why is Tyler dressed like a busboy?" She asked hesitantly, dreading the answer. She felt her stomach turning as Kendall looked at her.

Kendall remembered what Anton had told her. She would give Shelby a chance, not that she had much choice in the matter, in a dig team, but until they knew WHERE to dig, it wasn't as though she would just let the guys hang around doing nothing. They needed something to occupy their time. She also remembered that Anton had suggested Shelby was the kind of person that worked best when she believed people were against her. She was the kind of person who swam against the tide...a lot like her.

"Because...he is one?" Kendall replied sarcastically. "Just like the rest of you. Riley, it's time to get changed."

"Sure thing." Riley called out. Shelby just looked completely aghast.

"Wait...what?" She asked. "I thought...we're the dig team! We're meant to be looking for Energems!"

"And when we get leads, you will be on the dig team." Kendall assured her. "Until then, you're museum staff, which means we expect you to work for a living."

"But...we're Rangers now!" Shelby protested. "You know...busy saving the world?"

"Sometimes you're saving the world, sometimes you're flipping burgers." Kendall replied. She could see Shelby wasn't happy, and a part of her had to admit enjoying annoying her a little too much, but she wanted to see what Shelby was made of. If she couldn't take the disappointment of having to do a little work, what would make her believe she could handle the disappointments and trials of science, which over 99 percent of the time seemed to be about finding the wrong answers to eliminate them? People focused on the glory of success...most didn't think that most people in science would go their entire careers with perhaps only a handful of notable successes. She continued to work, setting up her equipment for the day, having to keep from looking at Shelby so the Pink Ranger couldn't see the smirk on her face. She was testing Shelby...but she had to admit enjoying doing so! "Today, it's burgers. That's how you blend in. People expect Rangers to be soldiers or policemen or firemen or things like that. No one will suspect you if you serve them pizza."

"Uh...we don't have pizza on the menu." Riley pointed out. Kendall realised she had slipped up. She had gotten the idea from hearing Anton talk about the cover other teams used, working innocuous jobs that people were unlikely to pay much attention to.

"Are we putting pizza on the menu?" Chase asked. "Because I'd totally be cool with that."

"I meant burgers." Kendall stated. Just then, they heard a massive yawn.

"Did someone say burgers?" Koda asked as he arrived. Riley, Tyler and Shelby just looked a little surprised to see him walking in, looking a lot like he'd only just woken up. He wasn't even dressed! Tyler just pointed to the cave he had seen Koda walking out of.

"Koda?" Tyler asked as it finally dawned on him that Koda didn't go back to the apartment block with them after work. He had presumed he had a home somewhere else. "What, do you life in that cave?" Koda just nodded, gesturing back to it.

"Yes...my...home." He explained, smiling. They all looked to Kendall.

"Wait, so...Chase, Riley and I get a fully-equipped apartment, you get an apartment to yourself..." Tyler stated. "And Koda sleeps in a cave?"

"It's not what you think mate, he likes it here." Chase stated.

"Koda chose to live here; it's where he's most comfortable, because it's most like his home." Kendall explained. "Koda bonded to the Blue Energem in the Plysses era, over a hundred thousand years ago."

"So...you mean Koda's a..." Shelby stammered.

"Cave man?" The Green, Red and Pink Rangers chorused. Koda just smiled and nodded frantically.

"Awesome!" Tyler replied enthusiastically. Riley just looked puzzled.

"He's over a hundred thousand years old?" Riley asked. "But...that's impossible."

"Your definition of impossible is going to become a lot more subjective." Kendall assured him. "Your Energems' energy has a marked effect on you all as you know. Once he bonded to an Energem, he stopped aging. None of you will age when you're bonded to an Energem."

"So I'll always be 18?" Shelby rushed out as Riley stepped away, heading out of the lab. "This job has some great benefits!"

"And I will ALWAYS look like this." Chase said, striking a pose. Shelby just looked to Kendall, and for once, felt like they were thinking the same thing.

"So...there are some negatives too." She stated. Kendall couldn't help smiling a little in response to that.

Tyler came out of Koda's cave with the Blue Ranger, who had just finished getting dressed for work. He showed them all one of his dad's journals.

"Koda showed me one of his cave paintings. There was one that looked like this guy." Tyler stated, showing them the picture his father had drawn of Fury many years ago. Kendall just took a deep breath as she saw the way he was looking at her.

"That's Fury." She told him.

"The guy that works for Sledge?" Shelby asked. Kendall just nodded.

"He's been searching for the Energems since Keeper arrived." Chase told them. "He attacked me shortly after I bonded to my Energem. I managed to get away...but I spent about a week in a hospital, even despite my advanced healing. It was after that I went to Anton's island to train."

"Fury attack my family." Koda added. "Had to move and hide. Fury very bad man, would have hurt Koda's family."

"So why is he in my father's journals?" Tyler asked. "Why did my dad say he was stalking him?"

It was then that he remembered, he found the Red Energem in one of the caves his father had visited.

"He followed my dad looking for the Energems didn't he?" Tyler asked. "He..."

"We don't know any more than you do how your father disappeared." Kendall assured him. "But as a theory...it does seem likely that Fury had something to do with it."

Tyler just fell silent for a moment, trying to compose himself.

"Tyler?" Shelby asked.

"There's nothing we can do right now." Tyler stated.

"But..."

"If we find the Energems, and we find Fury, we'll find out what happened to him, I'm sure of it." Tyler put down flatly. "I'm in this for as long as it takes."

"Then it's about time we were getting ready for work." Kendall answered. "I'll continue to work down here. I'll call if I find anything. As for the rest of you...?"

"Uh...about the rest of us?" Chase asked. "Does anyone know where Riley went?"

It was only then that they realised Riley had left. None of them knew where he had gone. Kendall just sighed.

"Perfect, I'm responsible for him for two hours and already he's wandered off." She grumbled. "I'll track his..."

"Koda go." He told her. "Will be faster."

She just nodded in agreement. Koda was an excellent tracker from his time as a hunter. While they could track his Ranger tech, they would still then need to actually reach him.

"Fine, go and find him, bring him back." Kendall told him. Koda ran out of the lab in search of the Green Ranger. "The rest of you go upstairs, the lunch rush will be starting soon."

"Another day of flipping burgers, yippee!" Shelby replied sarcastically as they all headed up into the restaurant.

Up on his ship, Sledge was in his quarters, preparing to head down to the Earth for the first time. He had never actually gotten to set foot on it the last time, his ship had been sent spinning through the cosmos before he had the chance. This time though, he was determined there would be no foul-ups. This time, he would oversee things himself.

He was going through his systems, checking out all the weapons and systems built into his armour. It had been a long time since he'd used them. After spending a long time marooned, unable to even move his ship, he had spent all his time getting back to the Earth in his pursuit of Keeper and the Energems. He had barely stopped to perform more than minor repairs to the ship since then. He had wasted no time, knowing that Keeper had plenty of time to conceal himself on the Earth...or possibly even fled! The upshot was that his weapons had not been properly tried in a battle situation in some time. He was just checking things over to make sure that it was up to the job. In his line of work, a weapon failing at an inopportune could mean the difference between a successful capture, and a dead bounty hunter!

Poisandra came into the room, seeing him testing his systems, and smiled.

"Ooh...Sledgeums, it's been far too long since I've seen you work!" She cooed, coming to his side. He just rolled his eyes. He knew that she got some kind of kick out of watching him work. She had fallen for him after a particularly brutal hunt had ended with him almost losing his life. After losing most of his weapons and a huge chunk of his armour to one of her kind, he had ended up resorting to pummelling him into submission with his bare hands! Poisandra, whose people were so powerful they rarely fought physically, found this display to be truly mesmerising! The brutality, the pain, the blood...seeing Sledge rise above the unconscious body of his target, he looked to her like a God! She had fallen for him on the spot. "I just can't wait to see you back to doing what you do better than anyone else!

"I am eager too, but Ice Age did underestimate the Rangers. It is a mistake I do not plan to make." He told her, hitting a few commands. "Stupid flight pack! Why won't you work?"

"Do you want me to get Wrench?" She asked him. "He could..."

"No, time is of the essence. We have already wasted enough time." He told her. "Take Wrench and Scrapper with you. Draw the Rangers out of hiding. I will be along shortly."

"You...you want ME to soften them up for you?" She asked, starting to skip in excitement. "Yay! This is going to be SO much fun! Hunting as a good couple should! I promise to leave plenty for you Sledgeums!"

With that, she skipped out of the room, humming cheerfully. He just smiled beneath his mask as he continued to work on his armour.

Back on Earth, Koda was running through the city, through the park in search of his new, young friend. He hadn't really known Riley long, he'd only just met him the previous day, but already he knew enough to make a good effort to track him. He knew he came from the country, so he would likely be drawn to places away from built up areas when he was looking for somewhere to be by himself. He was fit, and very fast, so he had surprisingly long strides when he was running, and his technique was good, so his footsteps were closer to being in a line as opposed to spread side-to-side as many untrained runners often did, wasting energy.

He got to the park, and he found the Green Ranger sitting on a bench by the edge of a lake. Koda approached him slowly, not wanting to give him the chance to run off again. As he got closer, he saw Riley was just sitting, staring at his Energem. By the time Koda got to him, he was stunned to see Riley draw his arm back and throw it as hard as he could into the middle of the lake.

"NO!" Koda called out, running to try and catch it, but the Energem was much too far away, and landed in the middle of the lake, causing a small ripple. Koda just stared at him. "Why do that?"

"Don't panic Koda." He sighed, reaching out his hand. A moment later, the Green Energem sped out of the lake, straight into Riley's hand. Koda had forgotten for a moment that the Energems were drawn to those they were bonded to. "It's not like I could get rid of this thing, even if I wanted to." Koda looked to him for a moment.

"Riley upset?" He asked. Riley didn't answer, he didn't need to. Koda looked a little confused by this. "Thought Riley...excited...to be Ranger."

Riley moved along on the bench, allowing Koda to sit down. As he did so, Riley threw the Energem away again, skipping it across the lake, where it sank under the surface again.

"I was...I mean...I am...It's just..." He started to say, trying to think about what was going through his mind. "Koda, you've been around a long time right?"

"VERY long time." Koda agreed. "Frozen for long time, when unfrozen, world was very strange."

"I'll bet." Riley answered.

"Riley upset when find out about Koda being caveman." Koda continued. "Riley...ok with Koda?"

"Koda...no, it's nothing like that!" Riley told him. "I wasn't upset about finding out you're a caveman. Well...maybe a little, but not for the reason you think. You're pretty cool to be around."

"Then why Riley upset?" Koda asked him.

"You wouldn't understand." Riley told him. Koda just took a deep breath.

"Koda fought Sabre-Toothed Tiger to protect little brother. Fall into glacier." Koda told him. "Koda's family not come looking for Koda. Not know about Energem. Think Koda die in fall. Koda frozen in glacier for long time, wake up in place called big...uh...grapefruit?"

"Apple." Riley corrected him. "You were frozen for all that time?"

"Energem keep Koda alive." He stated. "Koda long way from home, like Riley."

"The only difference is, I can go home." Riley answered. "That's not it either."

"Then what?" Koda asked him. "You guys are all fully grown." Riley explained. "You're all adults, but me...I'm 16!"

"Not understand." Koda stated.

"You're all adults, you've done all your growing, I can understand why not aging sounds like a good deal for all of you." Riley told him. "I'm 16, and now? I'm going to be 16 forever!"

Koda just looked puzzled.

"I know it's only a couple of years, but...it's an important couple of years! I don't want to be a kid forever!" He told him, recalling hi Energem to his hand. He just sighed. "Now because of this thing, that doesn't matter. I could live for thousands of years and still never be able to grow facial hair."

Just then, their communicators bleeped. Koda answered his first.

"Koda, have you found Riley?" She asked him.

"Find Riley." He answered.

"Good, because several objects are coming down through orbit." Kendall informed him. "They're going to land not far from your location."

"Koda, look!" Riley called out as he pointed to the sky. They both saw several bright streaks coming down from the heavens, heading their way.

"We see them!" Koda answered.

"The others are on their way to meet up with you." Kendall told them. "Be careful out there, whatever's coming it's big!"

"We be there." Koda answered. He looked to Riley, who was getting up. "Riley be alright?"

"Sure." He answered as they started to run off. "It's not like anything's likely to change right?"


	24. Sledge Hammer

At the museum, Kendall was running around frantically, working on computers as the Rangers headed to the battle site. Keeper arrived in the room, finding her checking on energy levels and working on another programme simultaneously.

"Kendall, we've just run into Koda and Riley!" Chase told her. "How far are we now?"

"Not far now." Kendall told him. "The landing pods have landed. I have a couple of dozen blips a little north of your location. You should be running across them soon."

"I can already hear screams!" Shelby told her. "They're close alright."

"Guys, be careful. I'm getting some serious power signatures. Whatever they've sent, it makes Ice Age look like freezer burn." She warned them. She went back to her work on the other computer, pulling up some schematics. "Damn it, why did they have to be back so early?"

"I presume you are working on the latest enhancement to their weaponry." Keeper surmised. Kendall just sighed.

"I'm working on it, but it'll take a while." She told him. "I wasn't kidding about those energy readings. They can use all the help they can get."

Just then an alarm sounded, bringing her attention back to the main screen. Kendall looked back to the screen, and her face slipped.

"Oh God." She muttered. "Something else is entering the atmosphere, and whatever it is, it's powerful and it's heading their way fast!"

She turned to find that Keeper had disappeared. She went back to her work, trying to get the upgrade ready to go. She could only pray that whatever they were facing, they could hold out. It looked like Sledge was escalating things far faster than she could have anticipated.

At the park, the Rangers arrived, finding Poisandra, Wrench and Scrapper, backed up by a couple of dozen viviks spreading panic. People were running, screaming for their lives when the Rangers arrived. They got there in time to see Poisandra tuning up, before with a hellish squeal that they could only assume was meant to be singing, she sent out a shockwave that tore up the ground, before slamming into an ice cream van. The vendor had seen it coming and leapt out of it, running away before her attack completely obliterated it in a massive fireball. She started giggling in delight.

"Ooh, I love this place; there are so many pretty things to break!" She cackled gleefully, skipping along with her accomplices. As she looked up, she saw some humans who weren't running away. She just smiled sweetly as she realised there was only one likely reason some mere humans wouldn't run for their lives the moment they saw them.

"Oh look, these must be the Rangers!" She greeted them insincerely.

"What are you?" Tyler asked.

"A walking lollypop?" Chase offered as a possibility. "With...you know...some kind of mental condition?"

"Well, lovely to meet you too! NOT!" She responded grumpily, taking offence at Chase's comment about her mental condition. She didn't take kindly to others insinuating that she was stupid, or worse...crazy! She had laid waste to entire cities over such slights. However, as she saw a burning streak descending through the clouds, she quickly relented. Although she wanted to make the Rangers pay for their insolence, her beloved Sledge was on his way, and she always loved to watch him work, especially when he stood in her defence. It made her...hot. "Allow me to introduce the most magnificent, intergalactic bounty hunter in the universe!"

The Rangers all felt their blood run cold hearing this, as Sledge streaked into view, slamming down into the ground, shaking it with the impact. His armour was still glowing. Such was the strength of his armour; he didn't need a drop pod to enter the atmosphere. The heat dispersed quickly, returning his armour to its original colour as he stood up, steam venting from its heat shielding.

"The one, the only, my future husband, SLEDGE!" She introduced him enthusiastically, performing a kind of gleeful dance as he confronted the Rangers. Shelby just gulped as she saw them; reverting to the only defence mechanism she knew when she was so scared.

"FUTURE husband?" She asked nervously. "After 65 million years? Talk about commitment issues!"

Sledge looked the Rangers up and down, activating some scanners in his helmet. He could already detect large energy signatures from them, but he had faced powerful opponents before. He just looked to Poisandra.

"This is a joke right?" He asked with a derisive laugh, before looking back to the Rangers. "You're the Rangers that destroyed my monster?"

"POWER Rangers." Shelby corrected him, trying to sound a lot more confident than she really was. Sledge was a huge creature, and they knew he had a reputation. From meeting him, they could feel an aura that gave them the impression his notoriety was not exaggerated.

Koda tapped Tyler on the shoulder as he noticed something strange. In the undergrowth a short way from their current location, just standing watching the events unfold. Tyler felt his blood starting to boil seeing him. He didn't know what had happened to his father, but given what he had written in his journal, and the detailed sketches he had made of Fury, he knew that the creature had followed him for some time before he disappeared. Given the fact that he now knew his father had been looking for Energems meant he couldn't ignore the likelihood that Fury had something to do with his father's disappearance. If nothing else, he just had to know what Fury knew about him, even if he was sure he'd have to force him to tell him what he knew.

His attention was brought back around as Keeper shifted into view, standing between the Rangers and Sledge. The Rangers couldn't believe that he had shown up here like this. He had fled across the galaxy to get away from him. He had hidden on Earth for millions of years. Now, he stood directly before Sledge.

"The Energems belong to no one!" Keeper announced, pointing to Sledge. "Especially not to the likes of you!"

"My old friend, you thought blowing up my ship would stop me?" Sledge asked him. "I spent millions of years marooned in deep space, until a passing comet came by. I snared it with my energy nets and rode it back to the nearest inhabited planet."

He stepped closer, glowering at Keeper.

"By the time I was able to repair my ship, my asteroids were gone, and most of my contractors were long since dead!" He growled. "You cost me a FORTUNE! For that, I will tear apart your corpse! I will destroy you, and then I'll leave the planet with the Energems!"

"The Rangers possess the power of the Energems, and the strength of ancient dinosaurs!" Keeper warned him. "If you try to take them, YOU are the one who will be destroyed!"

With that, he disappeared. The Rangers all just stood, looking more than a little stunned.

"Uh...Keeper?" Riley asked nervously.

"Does anyone else feel like that time when some little kid tells the biggest bully in the school yard you can kick his arse and then runs away?" Chase asked. They all had to agree it kind of felt like that.

"It's...OK, we got this...I guess." Shelby replied, no longer able to hide her terror.

"Dino Charger!" Chase called out, pulling out his Dino Charger. Everyone else did the same...all except Tyler. He couldn't help staring at Fury.

"Tyler?" Shelby asked.

"TYLER!" Chase called out, trying to bring his attention back. It was clear they thought he was obsessed with Fury, and in a way he was, but there was something else that bothered him. Fury had already directly attacked three of them that he knew of. He wasn't shy about direct action, but he just stood there watching, making no move to close the distance. It was like he had no intention of facing the Rangers. Why would he hold back when he had so much back-up when he was willing to face them on his own before? It didn't make sense.

Tyler pulled out his Dino Charger, and the Rangers all morphed just in time as Sledge opened fire with an energy blaster. His forces rushed towards them, intent on pressing the advantage. Now, it looked like there might not be some elaborate plan after all. It looked like Sledge planned to roll over them with sheer brute force, and what was worse, if his opening shots were anything to go by, and then he might just have the power to do it.

Back at the museum, Kendall worked hard as alarms started blaring all around her. She was keeping track of the Rangers' energy levels, and their vitals as the battle progressed, all while desperately trying to get their upgrade ready. The alerts were warning her that the Rangers' energy levels were taking a serious dip. The bad guys were laying down some serious firepower, far more than anyone had anticipated. The suits were barely keeping up with the abuse. If they kept up at this rate, she was certain that it wouldn't be long before the Rangers were left completely defenceless.

"Guys, I'm re-routing all the power I can into your suits!" Kendall told them. "It's not much, but it should be enough for you to get out of there!"

"Are you serious? You want us to run?" Chase asked her.

"Yes, it's all part of my dark and sinister 'let's all live long enough to fight back' agenda!" She called out. "Your suits are nearly done! You need to get out of there!"

"Bad guys still here." Koda protested. "Need to fight!"

"You need to survive!" Kendall yelled through the communicator. "I can't protect you from here! If they destroy you then all of this is..."

Just then, she heard a huge explosion and the line went dead. She looked to Chase's screen, seeing that his power had completely dissipated.

"Chase?" She asked. "Chase!"

Koda's screen flickered, before the display blanked out.

"Koda?" She called out as the other screens started to blank out. "Riley? Shelby? Tyler?"

Her heard fell as all her equipment suddenly registered nothing. Their power was gone. Kendall looked to the communicator.

"Koda? Chase?" She asked nervously as a tear started to run down her face. "Anyone?"

Back at the site of the battle, the Rangers all lay on the ground, beaten and battered, having been completely overwhelmed by Sledge's forces. No one had anticipated him coming to the planet mob-handed and simply trying to steam-roller over them in a single assault. All of them were feeling the effects of his beating.

As Tyler rolled away from him, he saw Poisandra come up to Sledge, looking positively giddy at what she had seen. She seemed to almost be aroused seeing the scene of destruction he had created.

"This has been a great disappointment. I was hoping for a more challenging battle." He stated. "You can see you are no match for me, but I will let you live with some dignity, and allow you to save your world. I will destroy your planet in one hour unless you bring me the Energems!"

With that, he activated his flight pack, blasting off. By the time the smoke cleared, the others had disappeared too. The Rangers all helped each other to their feet, feeling every inch of the beating they had received. Even with their increased endurance, they felt like they had been run over by a buffalo stampede.

"How long is hour?" Koda asked.

"Not long." Shelby answered him honestly. "How do we stop him?"

"We need to come up with a plan to beat him together." Riley said as he tried to get his breath back. As they were about to leave though, Tyler saw that Fury was still hanging around, still watching them. It was only now, after the Rangers were beaten that he turned and started to walk away. It just didn't seem to fit. Not only had Sledge left when he had them dead to rights, Fury had done nothing at all in their battle.

"Something's not right." Tyler stated. "I'm going to follow him!"

"Tyler, I know you want answers about your dad, but we need to stick together." Shelby told him.

"No, he's up to something. It looked like he was signalling Sledge before the battle." Tyler explained, recalling something he had seen. Fury had raised a hand in a kind of salute, at which he was sure he saw Sledge nodding in response.

"Tyler, forget your hunch!" Chase told him. "We have to stand together mate, or we don't stand a chance."

"We don't always have to be together to work together." Tyler said in response, turning and running off. "I'll meet up with you guys back at the Command Centre."

"Tyler...!"

"Let him go Shelby." Chase sighed. He wished he had been wrong, but he had already expressed the point that he knew usually the Red Ranger was the leader of the team. He had his doubts about the new guy coming in only to start giving out orders and acting like he was better than himself or Koda, who had already been working towards this for some time. Unfortunately, it looked like he was right. Tyler was impulsive, and his spirit for seeking thrills and adventure on his own often veered into the realms of recklessness. It seemed like Tyler was more concerned with Fury than he was with the current situation. "It looks like we have to take care of this ourselves."

With that, the remaining four Rangers turned and ran the other way, back towards the Command Centre. Riley opened out his communicator, finding it damaged, but he could see that he was still getting a signal.

"Ms Morgan?" He asked. "Ms Morgan, are you receiving?"

As they ran, they didn't see Wrench with Scrapper, hiding a little way off. He looked to the prisoner as they ran.

"That's it, just like Sledge said!" Wrench told him. "Go! Follow them!"

Scrapper turned into his claw form and flew off after the Rangers in hot pursuit. The plan was going perfectly. Soon, the Rangers would lead them straight to their base. After all, they could have finished the Rangers there and then, but why destroy the Rangers and claim only five Energems when they could destroy the only obstacle in their way, and claim the technology to find the other five in one fell swoop?

At the Command Centre, Kendall was sitting, nervously waiting for any word on what had happened. She hadn't heard anything since the computers had informed her the suits had lost the last of their defensive power.

She was sure her heart has stopped beating for a time. She had been entrusted with this mission, with the lives of the Rangers, and now it looked like she might have failed. Eventually, she looked up as she heard a communicator crackling.

"Ms. Morgan? Are you receiving?" She heard Riley's voice coming through. She couldn't contain how relieved she was to hear from them. She fumbled with the communicator, trying to clean up the signal.

"Riley?" She asked. "Riley, you're alright?"

"We took a beating, but we're alright." Riley told her. Kendall breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God." She exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Sledge decided to let us stew on it for a bit." He told her. "He said he'll be back in an hour! We're on our way back to regroup."

"Of course, get back here as quick as you can." She told them. "I've been working on a new upgrade. It hasn't been tested yet, but...I guess we might not have much time for that."

"Heard and understood." Riley replied. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

With that, he put away his communicator as they sprinted back towards the Command Centre. They were all so busy running though, that none of them saw that they were being followed. Scrapper was right behind them, just as Sledge had planned all along.


	25. Tailing Fury

In the woods surrounding the park, Tyler followed Fury at a safe distance, trying to be as quiet as possible. It wasn't the first time that he had to use a certain element of stealth on his journey to find his father. One of the things that quickly became apparent as he followed the clues left behind in his father's journals was that Dr Nevarro had gotten himself into some pretty interesting places. That is to say, on more than one occasion, when his search required it, he had to go places he was not meant to go. While he had on occasion found himself being ejected from places by security, law enforcement...sometimes even the MILITARY, he had pretty quickly learned how to move quietly and on some levels try to avoid being noticed.

Fury went further and further into the woods, much further than Tyler had expected to go. He had his suspicions why he was still wandering around, and hadn't simply returned to the ship as it seemed Sledge and his cronies had. However, the longer he followed him, the more it seemed like he was just walking around in circles.

Tyler started to get frustrated, thinking about this. It all seemed like a waste of time. All this time he was following Fury, while his friends were no doubt busy heading back to the Command Centre to figure out what they were going to do about Sledge, while he was here following Fury on what seemed like a wild goose chase.

Chase...that gave him a thought. Chase had called him on his decision to run off after Fury. He had told him that they needed to work together. He had heard from Keeper that he was meant to be some kind of leader, but right now, he wasn't leading much of anything. Chase seemed much more like a leader than him. Chase had done nothing but try and help bring the others into the team. He had worked hard to help them get used to their new responsibilities. In return, all Tyler had done was keep the fact that he had damaged Chase's property in a childish act of vandalism. He didn't deserve that, he deserved better from his team.

Tyler had finally had enough of this pointless pursuit and decided to bring it to an end, calling his Dino Sabre to his hand. He started to speed up a little, still keeping quiet, hoping to catch him unawares. Perhaps if he could take him by surprise and overpower him before he had a chance to fight back, this might not be a completely wasted endeavour. Perhaps he could strike a blow against Fury, taking out one of his generals, and in the process, perhaps even force some answers out of Fury about his dad.

As he got close though, he realised a fatal flaw in his plan. Fury stopped still and started sniffing the air. His fears were confirmed as Fury spoke.

"Wait, what is that stench?" He asked, starting to turn around. Tyler quickly took cover behind a nearby rock. "It smells almost...human."

Tyler could hear Fury coming closer, and gripped his Dino Sabre tightly. Fury was about to discover him. He had no doubt that he would have to fight. His heart started pounding, and he could feel adrenaline coursing through him as he focused on his anger, hoping to harness it to lend him strength. He didn't know if Fury was responsible for his father's disappearance or not, but it was far too much of a coincidence for him to believe he didn't at least know something about what had happened. He could see Fury's distinctive shadow coming over his cover, and prepared to strike. He stopped though as he heard something. Clearly Fury heard it too, since he seemed to move away.

"Fury! Come! Get over here!" Sledge commanded him. Tyler risked a peek over the edge of the boulder. Sledge and Wrench had indeed returned, or...perhaps they had never left! Either way, it was clear this was no chance meeting.

"Finally, I thought you were never going to return." Fury grumbled. "So, is your plan on schedule?"

"So far the Rangers are taking the bait, and leading Scrapper straight to their base!" He declared proudly. "They are more foolish than I thought if they believe I would show them such mercy unless it profited me."

"Soon Scrapper will be able to tell us exactly where their base is, and the Rangers will have no more value to us!" Wrench said gleefully. "They've already found half of the Energems. With their technology, we're bound to find the rest in no time...and there'll be no one left to stop us!"

Tyler felt ill as he heard this. He'd thought something seemed off with the battle. The Rangers hadn't just lost, they had been decimated! They hadn't broken off the battle and run, Sledge had more than enough opportunity to destroy them on the spot! He had let them go. He had said that he wanted to give them the opportunity to give up the Energems themselves, telling them he would destroy the planet if they didn't. Thinking about it now, his plan didn't make much sense. Presuming the Energems survived the Earth's destruction, it would leave him searching for them, tiny gems, spinning through the vastness of space! Now he realised that Sledge had no intention of letting them go. He had wanted them to go, so they would lead him right to their base, and to the means to find the other five Energems.

"He's going to destroy our base, and everyone along with it." Tyler whispered. He pulled out his communicator, trying desperately to hail the others to warn them, hoping he wasn't already too late. Maybe if he could raise them before they got to the base, he could get them to lead Scrapper away. "Kendall? Kendall? Chase?"

He naturally thought to communicate with them first. So far, he considered them to be leading the team. Unfortunately, he got no response. Checking the screen, he could see it was cracked, and all he could hear was static. It was clear his communicator was damaged in the battle. As Sledge and Fury left, he realised that left him with only one option. He got up; running as fast as he possibly could, praying he could reach the others before it was too late.

Back at the museum, Kendall worked feverishly as she tried to get the new upgrade ready. She'd been working on new weapons for a while, but in addition to them, she had been looking for a way to refine the suits, in order to maximise the output of the new weaponry without putting undue strain on the Rangers and putting them at any greater risk.

The new weapons were arrayed on the table before her as she made her final adjustments. Some sparks flew from the large, pink drill she was working on, burning her hand. She bit her lip to stop herself from swearing. It wasn't as though she wasn't used to the odd accident. She didn't have time to stop right now; it looked like she was just going to have to work through it.

She turned to the screen to her right, which was running simulations based on numerous equations, checking how the weapons should perform. She smiled as she saw that they were working within safe parameters. She knew a lot more work would need to be done to refine them, but they would serve them in battle, even if they did run a little rough.

"Chase, where are you?" She asked as she got onto the communicator.

"We're close; we should be there in a couple of minutes." He told her. "We could do with some good news right about now."

"Well, I have some of that." She replied as she got the first aid kit, starting to rub some after-burn cream into her hand. "Your upgrade is ready to go. It'll run a little rougher than I'd like, but it's ready to go. I just need your Dino Chargers to upload the program."

"Well, we're almost there." Chase told her. "Get things ready to go. We don't have a lot of time."

"Yeah, I kind of got that." Kendall answered as she cut the link. "I just hope it's enough."

Back on the streets, Tyler ran though the streets; using all the athletic ability he had to take short cuts on his desperate pursuit of his friends. He knew they already had a head start, and could only hope that he would get to them before it was too late. Every second he ran though, that hope was fading fast. As he got closer and closer to the museum, he knew that the odds of catching up to them were fading fast.

He arrived in the loading area of the museum just in time to see Chase swinging himself into the entrance. He was too late; the Rangers had already reached the Command Centre.

"Chase!" He called out, but the Black Ranger was too far away to hear him. He looked around just in time to see Scrapper firing a blast his way. He was barely fast enough to duck, narrowly missing being vaporised by the attack.

"Too late Red Ranger! The secret's out!" He told him, firing again to keep Tyler pinned down. "I can't wait to tell Sledge, he's going to set me free for sure!"

Tyler took cover, preparing to make his move, but he couldn't help thinking about what he had said. He was doing all this...to be released? He didn't want any kind of payment or reward; he was doing all this just so that Sledge would let him go? He couldn't help remembering Ice Age, and his ferocious battle with them, the way he fought to the bitter end when it was clear he was about to fail. Both of them had agreed to help Sledge to be let out, and Ice Age had been so desperate to be free, even his own destruction was preferable to returning to the ship. He had now experienced how powerful Sledge was, but now...he didn't even want to imagine his cruelty if his prisoners were willing to do anything just for the chance to be released! Now more than ever, he was certain that Sledge had no compassion, he would never have offered them the opportunity to leave with their lives if it didn't somehow benefit him.

He could only watch as Scrapper turned back into his claw mode and grabbed onto the back of a passing truck. He didn't just leave to return to Sledge. Of course! He would need a ship to get back to the prison ship! He still had time, but it was clear that he needed to move quickly if he was going to stop him in time. He jumped into his jeep and gunned the engine, heading off in pursuit. If he got back to Sledge, then everything was lost. He couldn't let that happen! He couldn't fail his team.

Meanwhile, the others got back to the lab, finding Kendall making the last few adjustments to her machine. They could all see the bandage on her hand.

"Kendall, are you...?"

"You don't work in science without the occasional mishap." She interrupted Chase. "Where's Tyler?"

"He went off after Fury." Chase told her. "I don't know where..."

"Never mind, we don't have time to worry about that." He told them. "Give me your Dino Chargers, now. I'll have to upload Tyler's later."

The Rangers all did as they were told, at which Kendall loaded them into a machine, and started working on a keyboard. They all saw the Dino Chargers starting to glow as she uploaded the new data into them.

As he stood close to her, Chase noticed something else about Kendall. He could see that some of her make-up had run. It was clear she had cleaned up a little, but she hadn't had time to do a great job of it. He knew it was just Kendall's way, that she liked to keep things impersonal and professional, but he could tell that she had shed some tears. He couldn't help smiling a little to see that. As much as she wanted to deny it, it was obvious Kendall cared about the team.

"I'm upgrading your Dino Chargers using the transmuter. Once the upload is complete, you'll be able to access Dino Steel Mode."

"Dino Steel?" Riley asked. "That sounds pretty awesome!"

"What is Dino Steel?" Koda asked. He brought up a display while they were waiting.

"It's a kind of additional layer of armour." She told them. "It provides a little extra protection, and also helps to power your unique weaponry. It's all here."

She showed them the table, which held their new weapons. The Rangers all started to inspect it, marvelling at the new arsenal.

"This is...this is pretty dope Ms Morgan!" Shelby complimented her, lifting the Tricera Drill, getting a feel for the weight, and imagining using it, giving it a couple of thrusts to practice.

"Now THIS is what I call firepower!" Chase agreed, picking up his Para Chopper. "I'd like to see those monsters shrug off the effects of this thing."

"Well, you'll all get the chance to try it out soon." Kendall assured them, pulling their Dino Chargers out of the transmuter and handing them back. "Now all we have to wait on is..."

Just then, they got an alarm. Kendall went to the computer, followed by the others.

"Wait, they're attacking now?" Riley asked. "It's not even been a whole hour!"

"I don't think the bad guys care about keeping their promises or fighting fair." Shelby sighed. "So, where are they?"

"That...doesn't make any sense." Kendall responded. "The attack, the energy blast...it originated right outside."

"Wait...what?" Chase answered. He hurriedly looked to the computer and saw that she was right. Kendall pulled up some security footage that showed Tyler arriving, before Scrapper fired his blast at him. Chase went very pale.

"Shit!" He muttered. "He...he must have followed us, he knows where we are!"

"That's why Sledge let us go. He didn't want to destroy us, he wanted to destroy EVERYTHING!" Riley concluded. "He wanted us to run right back here..."

"And we all fell for it!" Chase concluded.

"Guys, look!" Shelby called out, drawing them back to the footage. "He ran off, and Tyler's chasing him! He's going after that thing alone! We need to help him!"

"Well, it looks like we get to field test your new tech a lot sooner than expected." Chase commented. "We need to find..."

"Use your communicators." Kendall told them. "I've hacked into the anti-theft tracking system in Tyler's jeep, and routed the signal to your communicators. They should lead you right to him."

"You hacked into the tracker system?" Shelby asked. "Is that legal?"

"It's about as legal as running an unlicensed weapons manufacturing lab under a museum." Kendall replied. Shelby just nodded in understanding.

"Right...got you." She answered as they all filed out of the lab. Kendall turned back to her work, and started scouring the city, hoping to figure out where Tyler was heading.

On the road, Tyler followed Scrapper as he hopped from vehicle to vehicle, presumably heading for his ship. He arrived just in time as he saw him leap into what LOOKED like a pile of scrap, until it started to take off.

He knew he didn't have long, if the ship got airborne, then there was no way for him to pursue. He didn't have any options. He put the accelerator down, and ploughed his jeep straight into the ship. It spun away, colliding with a wall. Scrapper only just managed to jump clear before it exploded. Tyler got out, and surveyed the damage to his radiator and fender. He just sighed.

"My insurance company is NEVER going to believe this." He said bitterly, before morphing and turning back to Scrapper. He'd lucked out destroying his ship; he didn't want to give him another chance to get away.

"Hey!" He called out, loading a power cell into his Dino Blaster. "You owe me a new fender!"

Opening fire, he hoped to end it before Scrapper could regain his bearings. Unfortunately, before the shot could hit, Wrench leapt into the way, blocking the attack with his axe. It spun out of his hand from the force of the blow.

"Ow, that really stings!" He complained as he started shaking his hand out. Tyler looked on in astonishment at what he saw next.

"Are you...are you CRYING?" He asked. "Seriously? You start a fight, and then you cry when someone fights back?"

"You messed up our plans!" Scrapper snapped at him. "You destroyed the ship! Now I have to wait on Sledge sending another!"

"There's no way you're getting back to the ship!" Tyler told him, rushing towards him, pulling out his Dino Sabre. Wrench reclaimed his axe, heading to intercept. They fell upon each other in a vicious battle. Tyler quickly found out that appearances were deceptive though. This creature, despite actually crying when he took a hit, was still a formidable opponent. He sent Tyler flying, before Scrapper finished the job, raking him with his claw. Tyler hit the ground, his suit disappearing, and his strength completely spent.

He tried to get up, but his strength failed him as they approached. Wrench just stood over him with his axe at the ready, levelling it at his neck.

"Do you know how long it takes to rebuild one of those ships?" He asked him, bringing up the axe, ready to take Tyler's head from his shoulder. "Say goodbye!"

Wrench was blasted from his feet by some all too familiar power blasts. Tyler allowed himself a little smile, as everything faded into darkness and he fell to the ground unconscious.


	26. Sledge's Plan Scrapped

The Rangers battled fiercely, forming up a defensive perimeter around Tyler. They could see that he was out, and by the looks of things, it didn't look like he was getting up any time soon. Chase made short work of a couple of Viviks that managed to get past him before they could get to Tyler.

"And the Hot Shot does it again!" He declared proudly. Riley sliced his way through a couple more, joining Shelby as she took on Scrapper, while Koda kept Wrench busy.

"Stay away from our friend!" Shelby screamed at the monster, striking him as hard as she could. A few pieces of scrap flew off his body as he hit the ground hard. The monster grabbed her ankle as she tried to press the advantage, throwing her high into the air. Shelby barely managed to control her flight, landing on her feet with only a slight stumble as Chase caught her to steady her.

"OK, I REALLY love these powers!" Shelby commented. She wasn't blind to the fact she was clumsy. She once managed to trip over a stool, get up, and then trip over the SAME stool in the space of a minute. Balance, co-ordination, grace...those weren't exactly her strong suit. She was certainly no gymnast, but thanks to the suit, her body had reacted instinctively, bringing her round onto her feet in a move that should have been impossible for...well...as far as Shelby was concerned, pretty much anyone!

"How about we see just what these powers can do?" Chase replied as the others formed up around him. He pulled out his Dino Charger.

"Dino Steel Mode!" They all chorused together, running their Dino Morphers down their right arms. A light, strong, scaled metal armour formed up around their arms. They could all feel the additional power flowing through them.

"This is incredible!" Shelby responded, looking down to her hand as she called up her Tricera Drill.

Scrapper opened fire, but Koda quickly intervened, holding up his Stego Shield. Blasts splashed off it, dissipating harmlessly to the sides. Chase came to his side, returning the favour with his Para Chopper. Wrench and Scrapper ended up on the floor under the barrage of powerful energy blasts. As he got to his knees, Wrench started to shoot out tears in wide torrents.

"It's not fair! This wasn't supposed to happen!" He sobbed. "You would be nothing without those new toys of yours! You! Destroy them!"

With that, he ran away, the sounds of his pathetic sobbing disappearing. The Rangers could only watch in disbelief.

"Did that really just happen?" Shelby asked. "Did he seriously run away crying?"

"I guess some guys only like a fight when things are going their way." Chase concluded. "Forget him; he just doubled the odds on the good guys. I can live with that, but we need to destroy this guy before he takes that secret back to Sledge!"

"No worries." Riley answered as he leapt into action, taking on Scrapper. The monster went for him, swiping wildly with his claws, which Riley was able to deflect easily with his Dino Sabre, which he had switched to using as a main gauche. Hooking Scrapper's claw, he brought down the Raptor Claw, slicing the arm clean off the monster. He brought the claw back across him, tearing open a huge opening up a huge gouge across Scrapper's chest.

Shelby saw the opening, and rushed him, thrusting out with all her strength. The Tricera Drill glowed brightly, going straight through Scrapper, tearing him to pieces. She just turned to face the others, walking away as his remains hit the ground and exploded in a massive fireball.

"Monster, Extinct!" She declared proudly. They all heard a groan from a little way off.

"Hey, that's my line." Tyler mumbled as he sat up, rubbing his head. Shelby ran and knelt by his side, de-morphing as she got to him. The others quickly joined them, surrounding Tyler as she checked on him.

"Well, look who finally stopped sleeping on the job." Chase teased him light-heartedly. Shelby just threw a fist backward into his knee, causing him to limp a little, but kept her eyes firmly on the Red Ranger.

"Tyler, are you alright?" She rushed out. "Can you stand? Guys, help him up will you?"

Koda grabbed Tyler, pulling him to his feet quickly, steadying him as he staggered. He saw the look of concern on Shelby's face, and forced a smile despite the aches and pains. He knew they would pass soon enough.

"Hey, I'm tougher than I look." Tyler assured her.

"Taking on that monster by yourself? That was pretty reckless." Chase told him. "You could have been destroyed..."

"Yeah, I know, that's why you don't follow hunches." Tyler sighed, pre-empting the lecture. "You're right, but so was my hunch. Sledge..."

"Sledge was never going to give us an hour." Chase interrupted him. "We got the reading on the blast outside the museum. It seemed like too much of a coincidence."

"We know he had to have followed us." Riley added. "If you hadn't followed Fury, he'd have taken the location of the base back to Sledge, and he'd be kicking in our front door right now."

"I'm confused. Is hunch bad? Or good?" Koda asked. Chase just smiled.

"Right now, it's good." Chase told him. "But it could have easily gone the other way. Try not to make a habit of running off on your own."

"I'll try not to." Tyler agreed as they started to walk away.

Up on the ship, Sledge was watching the battle with Fury. Fury could see that Sledge was close to exploding as he saw the final moments. He wouldn't normally have cared about Scrapper's destruction. The crime family that had paid Sledge to find him had probably all died out. The boss that hired him in particular was bound to be long since dead. He would never have been able to claim the bounty, and so Scrapper's only real value was as a disposable soldier. Unfortunately, he had managed to be destroyed before could fulfil the one mission Sledge had wanted him to.

"Those Rangers destroyed Scrapper!" Fury called out. "He had one job, find the base then escape, and he couldn't even get THAT right!"

"Never mind, all is not lost." Sledge told him, gesturing to a vivik. "There is a way to give him another chance. Fire the magna beam!"

The creature hit a huge, red button, firing the beam into the Earth where Scrapper had fallen. Fury watched as he reformed and grew to the size of a sky scraper. Fury just smiled.

"I guess he can tell us once this is all over." Fury said as he looked to the screen. "Though...I imagine it'll be a little hard to fit him back on the ship to take him home like you promised."

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it." Sledge replied.

Back on the ground, the Rangers had seen the beam coming down, and took cover, expecting another attack. As it hit though, they saw that rather than causing destruction, it brought Scrapper back to life, and more importantly, made him grow to a colossal size. They all quickly morphed again as they prepared to face him.

"The bad guys still make monsters grow." Riley said as he saw the huge creature. "I guess we don't get zords for nothing."

"We should probably have seen that one coming." Shelby replied, pulling out a Dino Charger. "Now let's see what my Zord can do! Tricera Zord!"

They all braced themselves as the ground began to shake. Before long, the Pink Tricera Zord appeared, racing down the street. Scrapper's blasts rebounded off its hull as it rushed the monster, slamming into it, tearing at him with its horns.

"Yeah, she's amazing!" Shelby called out, looking to Tyler excitedly. "Look at her go! Tricera Drill!"

The Pink Zord tore at him with its drill tail, causing him to scream out as he tried hard to regain the upper hand. They all heard their communicators sounding.

"Koda, Chase, call your Zords." Kendall told them. They both looked to each other.

"Why?" Tyler asked.

"While I was working on the upgrade, I found an algorithm that should be able to unite the energy of more than one Energem." Kendall informed them. "I was going to use it to unite your Dino Steel weapons, but...I think it should work on the Zords."

"Unite the Zords?" Tyler asked. "You mean...?"

"Call the Tyrano Zord and the Stego Zord." Kendall told them. "You should be able to unite them into a Megazord."

Just then, they saw Scrapper knocking the Tricera Zord away, at which it tumbled down the street, damaging a number of buildings. While its initial attack had shown the Tricera Zord was easily a match for Scrapper, he was also a match for it. If they had a chance of tipping the odds in their favour, they had to take it.

The Stego Zord appeared, spinning through the air, slicing into Scrapper like a saw as the Tyrano Zord arrived, and the Tricera Zord regained its feet. The Blue zord joined its compatriots as they faced down the monster.

"Wow, our Zords are awesome!" Tyler stated. "Time to see if this works. Let's bring them together! Dino Megazord, Tri Stego Formation!"

The three zords combined, taking on a humanoid appearance that towered over the street. Riley and Chase could only watch as Shelby, Tyler and Koda disappeared.

"Whoa, where'd they go?" Chase asked.

"It's alright guys, we're fine, we're INSIDE the zords!" Tyler assured them through the communications link. "Wow, this cockpit is pretty sick! You should see it!"

"I'm sure we'll get the chance." Chase said with a smile. "Why don't you show us what this new Zord can do?"

As Scrapper unleashed everything he had at the Megazord, Chase and Riley could only watch in awe. It wasn't just powerful; it was also far more agile than should be possible for a machine of its size and weight. After rebounding a blast from Scrapper, it used the momentum to spring off a building, coming straight back at him.

"Megazord, final STRIKE!" They called out together, powering up its most powerful attack. A blast that looked a lot like Rexy's head flew straight at Scrapper, surging straight through him. By the time the Megazord landed, Scrapper was no more.

"Monster Extinct!" Tyler declared excitedly as they observed their handy work. Shelby just looked to him and smiled.

"OK, you can have your line back." She told him. "You make it sound so much better anyway."

Up on his ship, Sledge blasted the viewing screen in a fit of temper. He had been so close, Scrapper had found the Rangers' base, but they had managed to stop him from bringing that information back to the ship. Poisandra just humphed.

"Well that's just lovely; my favourite wedding programme was on tonight!" She whined. "Now what am I going to do?"

I'm sorry my sweet, but Scrapper's ineptitude was so infuriating!" Sledge answered her. He saw Wrench cowering in the doorway. "Wrench! Get in here and fix that viewing screen!"

"Of course Master Sledge." He stammered nervously. "It'll take a while but..."

"Don't think I didn't notice the fact you ran off and left Scrapper alone. HE was the one with important information. He was far more valuable to me than you!" Sledge roared as he grabbed Wrench roughly by the neck, dragging him towards the wrecked screen. "If you know what's good for you, I expect that screen fixed by the time my lovely fiancée's programme starts you useless cry baby!"

He threw Wrench to the floor, eliciting a childish giggle from Poisandra. He left the room arm-in-arm with her as Wrench got to work. It was only his mechanical expertise that made him useful to Sledge, and more importantly, on the right side of the bars!

Back at the museum, the Rangers were busy clearing up after the lunch rush. Kendall was in her office, catching up on some paperwork when Riley arrived and knocked the door gently to attract her attention.

"You asked to see me?" He asked. Kendall smiled when she saw him.

"Of course, come on in." She told him. He came in and sat down across the desk from her. She took a folder out of her desk, putting it down in front of him.

"The first of my course work?" He asked. She just nodded.

"It outlines your curriculum. It can all be done online, and you know I'll help you wherever I can." She began. Riley just gave her a little smile.

"Thanks, I'll look at it when I get to the apartment." He promised her. As he was about to go, she called him back.

"Riley...Koda told me you were upset earlier." She told him. "He said you were upset about...um...the Peter Pan thing."

Riley closed over the door and came back to her desk, sitting down. She just looked to him sympathetically.

"It's a bit of a shock you know?" He asked. "I mean, you hear people say all the time they wish they were younger, and how being a kid is the best years of your life, but..."

As his words tailed off, Kendall just smiled.

"I honestly think people who say that have some kind of selective amnesia." She told him. "It wasn't THAT long ago. I remember 16, and thank God that ended."

"Yeah...something like that." He answered. Kendall realised what she had said, and quickly tried to recover the situation.

"What I'm trying...a little inelegantly to say is...it's alright to be upset about this." She told him. "We never even knew that the Energems would bond to someone so young, they always bonded to adults before. I guess we never thought much about what would happen if they did."

"It could be worse right?" Riley asked. "I mean, if it had happened when I was 13...God, I don't even want to think about that."

"I promise, I'll do all the research I can on the Energems. I'll try to find out all I can about their power and see what this will mean for you. I don't know if there's a way to reverse the anti-aging effects, but I'll try and find out." She assured him. Just remember, I didn't just promise to help with your education. I promised we'd take care of you. If you ever feel upset, or just want to talk, there are plenty of us around."

"Thanks Ms Morgan." Riley answered. "It means a lot."

"Now, head back to the kitchen." Kendall told him. "I'm sure the others will appreciate the help."

In the kitchen, Chase, Shelby and Koda were clearing up, while Tyler prepared some food for them all. He was working away on the grill when Chase came in.

"We're nearly done in there." Chase told him. "Those smell pretty good."

"Thanks, I'm getting the hang of it." Tyler answered. Chase took a deep breath.

"Look, I wanted to apologise." He stated. "I never should have thought you'd abandon the team."

"I guess I'm sorry too." Tyler replied. "I shouldn't have been so quick to run off. I guess I haven't done much to convince you I can be a team player."

"Well, that's true too." Chase answered. "But I have to admit that I wasn't keen on someone becoming the Red Guy. Koda was always happy to follow my lead, and...I guess I figured whoever became the Red Guy was going to just depose me."

"Hey, I'm not trying to..."

"I know, it's my thing." Chase answered. "How about from now on, we're honest with each other? We draw a line under everything and make a completely new start, does that sound good?"

Tyler fidgeted a little awkwardly, before pulling out some money.

"Well, if we are going to start with honesty...I guess now's as good a time as any." He said, handing Chase a couple of hundred bucks. "It's all I have, but I'll get the rest."

"And this is for...?" Chase asked. Tyler took a deep breath.

"It's for the damage I caused to your jeep." He told him. "I was mad you ran me off the road, no one was around...I know it was childish and stupid..."

Tyler was taken aback as Chase started laughing. He just looked at him curiously.

"Well, at least you finally admitted it. I appreciate the gesture." Chase told him.

"You knew?" Tyler asked.

"There are cameras outside." Chase told him. "I knew the same day."

"So...you didn't say anything because...?"

"I wanted to see what kind of guy you are." Chase told him. "It took a while, and a little coaxing, but you did the right thing. That took guts."

"And you're not mad?" Tyler asked.

"I was at the time." Chase told him. He offered Tyler the money back.

"No, that's..."

"I'm not mad because the jeep isn't even mine. It's leased to the museum." He told Tyler. "So technically, it's Kendall you owe that money to. She said when you admitted it to let you know she's taking half your pay until the re-spray is paid for."

"Seriously?" Tyler asked.

"Since you're not paying for room or board, I'm sure you'll live." Chase reminded him.

"Well, I guess that's fair." Tyler sighed as he turned his attention back to the grill. Shelby, Koda and Riley came in, carrying bags of waste that they'd collected from the cafe. Shelby slumped down on the counter.

"This still seems wrong." She muttered. "We save the world in the morning...then serve them lunch in the afternoon."

"You're crazy, this is fun!" Tyler exclaimed as he went to the grill. "Check out what I learned!"

He flipped a burger high into the air, and spun around, preparing to catch it. However, it never came down. He turned to the side, a suspicious look on his face...only to see Koda standing next to him, his face looking stuffed. He'd managed to jam the whole burger into his mouth in one go!

"Koda!" They all chorused, starting to laugh. He tried to chew, but it was too much even for him. He sneezed, spraying burger everywhere. The others all looked to him, still laughing at his expense.

"Dude!" Shelby protested. She picked up a handful of coleslaw. "This outfit cost a fortune!"

She threw the coleslaw at him, splattering it on his shirt. Koda just laughed in response. Before long, the others started grabbing all the food that wasn't nailed down, bombarding each other with it as they let the moment overtake them.

Chase grabbed a bottle of mustard and a bottle of ketchup, looking at Shelby with an evil smirk on his face.

"Hey, Shelby" He said, causing her to look at him in panic.

"Now Chase, we can talk about this!" She said as he advanced on her. He squeezed the bottles hard, just as Shelby threw herself aside with a shriek. All the laughter died down as they saw to their horror that Kendall had come in right behind Shelby, only for Chase to end up covering her head-to-foot in condiments. They all looked more than a little worried.

"Kendall...hi...um..." Chase stammered as he looked to her. "We were just...uh..."

Kendall picked up a large soda, walking towards him as he backed away.

"We're...um..." They all watched as she grabbed the waist band of his trousers, pulling it out, and emptying the drink inside, causing Chase to yelp. Kendall smiled brightly.

"You have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that." She told him, grabbing a handful of coleslaw. With that, the food fight resumed. The Rangers had faced great dangers, and they knew they would likely face many more, but at that moment, all that pressure lifted, just for a moment in a chorus of laughter. They could always clean up the kitchen later.

Fin.

**A/N:** Well, that's my version of the premier (I consider this season to have a three-part premier.) I really enjoyed bringing the team together, and I'm already looking forward to writing my next story. Hope you all enjoyed it, and rest assured, the team will be back soon.


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